Savannah-Chatham County Public School System Passes 2018 Budget (Savannah, GA)

During the Special Called Meeting held on June 21, 2017, the School Board passed the budget for fiscal year 2018, approved personnel moves, and updated the ESPLOST III schedule.

Here are the budget highlights from the meeting:

• The budget includes pay raises for all staff of the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools WITHOUT increasing the millage rate (the current rate is 16.631 mills for education)!
• In the approved budget, there is a 2% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for all staff
• In addition to the COLA, all eligible employees will receive a step increase for the past year’s service. 40% will be paid by The State of Georgia and 60% will be paid with local funds.
• Some teachers will also receive an additional increase to close the local supplemental pay gap (above the 2% COLA increase). Individual increases needed to close the gap will be case by case and will be paid with local funds.
• The District will also provide financial incentives for new teacher hires, teachers in critical content areas, and for staff retention at certain locations throughout the District (the amount of supplemental pay will vary case by case). Local funds will be used for these measures.
• Most importantly, the budget provides funding to restore longevity steps (years of service) to those employees who lost them during the economic recession in the mid-2000’s. This is being paid through local funds.
• New pay scales for teachers and classified employees will be posted by Tuesday, June 27, 2017 on the District’s website (SCCPSS.com). If any employee has any questions call Karen Sikes in HR at 912.395.1008.

Several personnel moves were approved by the Board. Key changes to note are:

• Retirement of Dr. Deborah Jones as Principal of Gadsden Elementary School. Thank you for your many years of dedicated service!
• Congratulations and welcome to Dr. Renee Bryant-Evans who will be joining SCCPSS as the new Interim Principal of Gadsden Elementary School.
• Congratulations to Lesley Jordan who was named Interim Principal at Hubert Middle School after she has served as Assistant Principal at the Esther F. Garrison School for the Arts.
• Congratulations to Timothy Brown who was named Interim Assistant Principal at The School of Liberal Studies at Savannah High after he has served as a High School teacher at Groves High School.

We also approved an accelerated schedule for one of the ESPLOST III projects! I am very excited to announce the new K8 school project on the New Hampstead Campus has been moved from a Year 2 (2018) project to a Year 1 (2017) project. Because West Chatham continues to have an explosion of growth, the District will now move forward with the design of the school during 2017 and this will not negatively impact any of the other Year 1 ESPLOST III projects.

Michael Johnson serves as the Savannah-Chatham County Public School 7th District School Board Member and Buyer Agent for The Johnson Team with Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners.