News Summary
Residents of Chatham County will face delays in providing input on the proposed budget and millage rate for the Chatham County School District due to tax digest issues. Public hearings initially scheduled for June 11 are postponed as the district waits for necessary tax information. The uncertainty regarding funding, as well as the potential impact of recent legislation, complicates the district’s financial planning. Strategies for cost reduction are under evaluation, while discussions about the future of several aging swimming pools are ongoing.
Chatham County, GA — Residents of Chatham County will have to wait longer to provide input on the proposed budget and millage rate for the Chatham County School District due to delays caused by local tax digest issues. Public hearings that were originally scheduled for June 11 have been postponed as the school district awaits necessary tax information from the Chatham County Board of Assessors.
According to Budget Director Paige Cooley, this delay is mainly due to the processing of House Bill 581. Although the school district opted out of the provision associated with this bill, the county commissioners decided to remain under its regulations, which has led to uncertainty for the school district regarding its funding. This uncertainty was raised during the district’s opt-out proposal in March. Adding to the complexities, Governor Brian Kemp has recently signed House Bill 92, allowing municipalities to reverse their choice to opt out of House Bill 581, although it is unclear how this will impact the district.
The delay in receiving tax digest data is significant as it limits the budget team’s ability to accurately factor local tax revenues into the school district’s financial planning. The Chatham County School District had projected a growth rate of 10%, but recent unofficial information suggests that the actual growth rate is closer to 7.05%. Consequently, Cooley has revised the budget projection to reflect this new estimate.
The school district has identified several strategies for cost reduction amidst the budget uncertainty, including:
- $12.3 million saved from central office administrative salary cuts.
- $10 million reduction related to overbudgeted employee vacancies, which were previously overbudgeted by $20 million in 2022, $23 million in 2023, and $37 million in 2024.
- $2 million in utility savings.
- $2 million reduction in school start-up costs.
Amid ongoing budget discussions, the district is also evaluating the future of its four swimming pools, which are over 25 years old and were formerly owned by the City of Savannah. The pools are located at Otis J. Brock, III Elementary School, Leiston Shuman Elementary School, Bishop Gilbert Haven Elementary School, and Herschel V. High School. While Board President Roger Moss and District 6 Representative David Bringman have expressed a desire to close or sell the pools, District 8 Representative Tonia Howard-Hall advocates keeping them open due to their historical significance for Black communities. Community member Jamal Toure has also called for options that would allow the pools to remain operational in light of their racial history.
Of the four district-owned pools, only Jenkins High School’s pool is currently operational. The other three are in poor condition, with estimated costs of $150,000 required to fill in the pool at Shuman, while repairs and replacements for Brock and Haven pools are projected to cost $450,000 in total. The district is in discussions with local city leaders about potentially leasing or selling the pools, with leasing costs anticipated to be around $374,000 annually.
The school board has also approved a tentative budget for fiscal year 2026, estimating approximately $940 million in expenditures, which aims to focus on student needs and teacher support. The board has set a tentative millage rate of 17.481 mills, representing a 3.89% increase from the rollback millage rate, which will likely increase payment amounts for most residents. The school board encourages feedback from the community regarding the proposed millage rate before final decisions are made, with a deadline set for June 25.
In response to potential federal funding cuts affecting the U.S. Department of Education, the district is considering a 3% cost-of-living raise to help address teacher vacancies while ensuring budget adjustments are made prudently. The school board plans to finalize the budget and millage rate by June 4, with new public hearings announced to facilitate further community input.
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Additional Resources
- Savannah Now: Savannah Board of Public Education Adopts Tentative Budget
- Wikipedia: Chatham County, Georgia
- WTOC: SCCPSS Looking to Spend About $940 Million
- Google Search: Chatham County School District budget
- WSAV: Multi-Million Dollar Budget Increase for Savannah-Chatham Schools
- Google Scholar: Savannah-Chatham County Schools budget
- WJCL: Savannah-Chatham School Board Proposes $666 Million Budget
- Encyclopedia Britannica: education funding
- Savannah Now: Savannah-Chatham Public Schools Proposes Total Budget
- Google News: Savannah Chatham County schools
