Beverly Jouissance, 36, who has lived with her family in Freeport since 2008, is hoping to be elected for a second time to serve as a Freeport school board trustee on May 19. She was previously elected in May 2025, before having to relinquish her seat in September.
Jouissance has served school communities for over 12 years as a school bus driver, being certified for the Commercial Driver’s License Trainer and Safety program. She has additionally served as a volunteer cheerleading, basketball and track coach and mentor for youth in Freeport.
If elected, Jouissance says that she wants to spend more time listening to residents sharing district needs rather than “coming in with a long list of new initiatives.”
“I want to listen, understand the district needs and build on a solid foundation in a thoughtful, responsible way,” she said. “I’d want to build on what’s already working, while focusing on a few key areas.”
Those key areas are strengthening communication and transparency with families and staff, advocating for family concerns and “supporting the whole student,” meaning that a child’s academic well-being as well as their mental and physical well-being would be prioritized during their school experiences.
Jouissance, like many school board trustee candidates and community members, views district communication has one of Freeport Public Schools’ biggest challenges.
“A lot of frustration in general can come when communication isn’t always clear or when it’s not obvious how input is reflected in decisions,” Jouissance said. “I think part of addressing that is listening, communicating more consistently and being open about what can and can’t be shared. …If families feel heard, I feel it may go a long way toward strengthening the trust and supporting the district as a whole.”
Jouissance’s tenure last year as a school board trustee came to an abrupt end and lasted only four months. She was dismissed from the board for not living within the Freeport district according to district administrators last year. She was replaced by Dina Skeffrey, who is also running in this year's election.
Jouissance says, however, that this incident was not meant to be deceptive and should not limit her ability to serve the district now.
“I was and remain a resident of Freeport district,” Jouissance asserts. “I submitted the proper documentation confirming that. However, there was a mishap in how that information was handled and communicated from a now former administrative cabinet member who withheld valuable and important information confirming my residency.”
She says that as a result her children, who attended district schools, were temporarily removed from school and her eligibility to serve as a school board trustee was impacted due to the alleged withholding of her information. She believes that this was done intentionally and says there has always been evidence that she resided in the district.
“Even though the situation was resolved, it should not have happened in the first place,” Jouissance said. “It exposed real gaps in the process within the district and how important decisions are handled. I’m addressing this head on because no family should face that kind of disruption due to administrative failures. When elected, I will work to ensure clearer procedures, stronger oversight and fair consistent treatment for every family.”
Ultimately, Jouissance says she will be focused on uniting the community towards supporting district students, teachers and staff.
“What I’ll bring is a strong focus on advocating for students, families and also supporting the staff and teachers who work with them every day,” Jouissance said. “I’m a person that likes to listen first, ask questions, then try to understand different perspectives before making decisions. …I believe people should feel like when they raise a concern it’s actually heard and taken seriously.”
This is a profile and not an endorsement of any candidates. The Freeport school board trustee’s election and budget confirmation will be on May 19. Freeport residents can register to vote Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Freeport Public Schools administration building.
