diff --git a/.eslintignore b/.eslintignore
index 4e147fe1a..72dfb1006 100644
--- a/.eslintignore
+++ b/.eslintignore
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 /config/
 dist/
 /*.js
+functions/deployment-template/index.js
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-check.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-check.yml
index f0fd16726..7e8926d2e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-check.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           cache: 'npm'
       - name: NPM Clean Install
-        run: npm ci
+        run: npm ci && cd functions && npm ci
       - name: Run Prettier Check
         run: npm run format:check
       - name: Run Linter
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4ffeb283d..561342e37 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ dist
 .vscode
 .firebase
 requirement-generator-dist/
+functions/deployment-template/index.js
 .eslintcache
 
 # local env files
diff --git a/firebase.json b/firebase.json
index 2c33c295f..b87ffce96 100644
--- a/firebase.json
+++ b/firebase.json
@@ -12,5 +12,9 @@
         "destination": "/index.html"
       }
     ]
+  },
+  "functions": {
+    "source": "functions/deployment-template",
+    "runtime": "nodejs14"
   }
 }
diff --git a/functions/deployment-template/package.json b/functions/deployment-template/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7dae24f8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/functions/deployment-template/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "name": "deployment-template",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "description": "",
+  "main": "index.js",
+  "scripts": {
+    "deploy": "firebase deploy --only functions"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/functions/index.js b/functions/index.ts
similarity index 88%
rename from functions/index.js
rename to functions/index.ts
index 0fb59eaf4..4f7943f96 100644
--- a/functions/index.js
+++ b/functions/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
-const functions = require('firebase-functions');
-
-// The Firebase Admin SDK to access the Firebase Realtime Database.
-const admin = require('firebase-admin');
+import functions from 'firebase-functions';
+import admin from 'firebase-admin';
 
 admin.initializeApp();
 const db = admin.firestore();
@@ -9,8 +7,8 @@ const usernameCollection = db.collection('user-name');
 const semestersCollection = db.collection('user-semesters');
 const onboardingCollection = db.collection('user-onboarding-data');
 
-const average = array => array.reduce((a, b) => a + b) / array.length;
-function typeToMonth(type) {
+const average = (array: readonly number[]) => array.reduce((a, b) => a + b) / array.length;
+function typeToMonth(type: string) {
   switch (type) {
     case 'Spring':
       return 1;
@@ -43,7 +41,10 @@ function isOld(semester) {
 // add all colleges/programs/majors etc. in arr to frequency dict
 // TODO this will not show any colleges/grad programs with 0 people.
 // Need to look at requirements data and add each to the map with 0 frequency to do so.
-function addToFrequencyDictionary(categories, freqDict) {
+function addToFrequencyDictionary(
+  categories: { acronym: string }[],
+  freqDict: Record<string, number>
+) {
   // if no colleges/programs/majors/minors for this doc, skip
   if (!categories) {
     return;
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ function addToFrequencyDictionary(categories, freqDict) {
 // adds year to freqDict if not set, otherwise increments frequency by 1
 // simplified version of addToFrequencyDictionary for entrance/grad year, as they
 // are single elements, not lists, and do not have an acronym prop
-function addYearToFrequencyDictionary(year, freqDict) {
+function addYearToFrequencyDictionary(year: string, freqDict: Record<string, number>) {
   if (!year) {
     return;
   }
@@ -137,13 +138,13 @@ exports.TrackUsers = functions.https.onRequest(async (req, res) => {
     let totalNumMinors = 0;
     let totalNumExams = 0;
 
-    const collegeFreq = {};
-    const programFreq = {};
-    const majorFreq = {};
-    const minorFreq = {};
+    const collegeFreq: Record<string, number> = {};
+    const programFreq: Record<string, number> = {};
+    const majorFreq: Record<string, number> = {};
+    const minorFreq: Record<string, number> = {};
 
-    const entranceYearFreq = {};
-    const gradYearFreq = {};
+    const entranceYearFreq: Record<string, number> = {};
+    const gradYearFreq: Record<string, number> = {};
 
     onboardingQuerySnapshot.forEach(doc => {
       const { majors, minors, exam, colleges, gradPrograms } = doc.data();
diff --git a/functions/package.json b/functions/package.json
index 70385d360..df87785ae 100644
--- a/functions/package.json
+++ b/functions/package.json
@@ -4,15 +4,13 @@
   "private": true,
   "scripts": {
     "lint": "eslint .",
+    "predeploy": "../node_modules/.bin/esbuild --bundle --platform=node --outdir=deployment-template index.ts",
     "serve": "firebase serve --only functions",
     "shell": "firebase functions:shell",
     "start": "npm run shell",
-    "deploy": "firebase deploy --only functions",
+    "deploy": "cd deployment-template && npm run deploy",
     "logs": "firebase functions:log"
   },
-  "engines": {
-    "node": "12"
-  },
   "dependencies": {
     "firebase-admin": "^9.5.0",
     "firebase-functions": "^3.13.1"