Categories: CharityCommunityEvents/What's HappeningNews

SCCPSS Seeks Community Input for New School Principals

Local community gathering to discuss new principal qualifications.

News Summary

The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) is actively seeking community engagement as it searches for new principals for Beach High School and Hubert Middle School. Principal Profile Meetings will be held to gather feedback on desired qualifications. The meetings, part of a pilot initiative due to low school performance, aim to involve families, staff, and community members in the hiring process before final decisions are made.

Savannah – The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) is seeking community input as it searches for new principals for Beach High School and Hubert Middle School. The district will hold Principal Profile Meetings aimed at gathering local feedback on the qualifications desired for the new leaders. These meetings are part of an initiative to ensure that the input from families, staff, students, and community members is taken into account before final hiring decisions are made.

The meeting for Hubert Middle School is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, at 5 p.m. in the cafeteria, while the Beach High School meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 28, from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Richard R. Mole Auditorium. Members of the community who are unable to attend the meetings can provide their input through a contact form available on the SCCPSS website.

The SCCPSS Chief of Schools, Raymond Barnes, emphasized that this initiative is part of a pilot program for a revised principal hiring process. This comes as both Hubert Middle and Beach High are listed among the lowest-performing schools in the district, according to Georgia’s 2024 College & Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).

School Performance Concerns

Data from the CCRPI reveals that Hubert Middle School recorded the lowest Content Mastery index among all district middle schools. Additionally, it is one of 16 middle schools that fall below the state averages in both Content Mastery and Readiness. Hubert’s GMAS results displayed significant academic challenges, with 51% of eighth graders, 65% of seventh graders, and 78% of sixth graders scoring below grade level in reading. In the previous year’s GMAS Math assessment, only 30 out of 440 students at Hubert scored proficient or above.

Beach High School also faces academic hurdles, with 52% of its students scoring below grade level in American Literature and Composition. Approximately 32.8% of students managed to score proficient on the Algebra assessment. These assessments demonstrate the urgent need for effective leadership that can foster academic success and improve student outcomes.

Leadership Changes and Challenges

Hubert Middle School has been facing a significant overhaul in its administration. The school started the 2024-2025 academic year with one assistant principal down, following the resignation of India Nicole Young, who resigned amid federal charges unrelated to her role. The previous principal, Brian Dotson, was demoted on May 6 and reassigned, which has stirred up concerns regarding the school leadership and overall culture among staff members.

Throughout the year, staff have expressed worries about the decline in school culture and leadership effectiveness. Reports have emerged indicating that disciplinary measures to address student misbehavior were not consistently enforced, and there were challenges in providing adequate special education services. Issues particularly arose regarding Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and a continued teacher shortage. Parents have voiced concerns over the administration’s responsiveness, describing difficulties in setting up family meetings and addressing conflicts. Simultaneously, an unofficial Instagram page highlighted ongoing behavioral issues at Hubert, including instances of fights.

District Response and Community Engagement

The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System is now addressing these serious concerns while simultaneously preparing for upcoming graduation events, which has limited the availability of district leadership for media inquiries. A press conference has been announced by Superintendent Denise Watts to discuss the district’s improvement plans and operational assessments in the future.

As the Principal Profile Meetings approach, community members attending are encouraged to review the district’s clear bag policy to ensure a smooth entry to the events. This community-focused effort aims to establish leadership that is better suited to meet the needs of students and the expectations of parents and community stakeholders.