The Savannah-Chatham school board typically holds their regular monthly meeting at 2 p.m. The meetings are open to the public and will be held at the Whitney Administrative Complex, 2 Laura Avenue. Meetings can also be viewed live on the school board’s YouTube page.
The agenda for the Sept. 2 meeting is not available to view.
SCHOOL BOARD NEWS BRIEFS
School board advances $85M renovation of historic 208 Bull St.
The Savannah-Chatham County school board on Aug. 12 approved LS3P Associates to begin programming and master planning for the renovation of the district’s historic building at 208 Bull St., moving forward with a project currently budgeted at $85 million despite concerns from several board members that the cost could climb higher. In a split 5-4 vote, the board authorized $135,000 for the initial planning work plus a $22,000 reimbursable allowance, with later design and construction-administration fees set at 5.15% of the project’s stated cost limitation. Board members Stephanie Campbell, David Bringman and Chairman Roger Moss warned against allowing the project to exceed the existing budget, while Denise Grabowski and Shawn Kachmar argued that the planning phase is needed to determine how much of the building will be used for student programs, administration and other community uses. Moss said he believes the renovation will ultimately cost more than $100 million and voted against the selection. The board first committed to the project in December 2024 when it approved the ESPLOST V project list, which included converting the former central office into the Bull Street Center for Architecture and Design; voters subsequently approved the sales-tax program in March
School board bans cell phone use in high schools
The Savannah-Chatham school board is moving ahead with a districtwide ban on student cell phone use during the school day to comply with Georgia’s new Distraction-Free Education Act. Beginning with the Aug. 3 start of the school year, students in grades K-12 will be prohibited from using personal electronic devices from the first bell to the last, with limited exceptions for students whose individualized education programs or medical needs require them. Board members said the policy builds on the district’s existing elementary and middle school restrictions and agreed to implement the high school ban immediately rather than delaying it another year.
School board adopts FY27 budget
June 24, 2026 – The school board approved a $704.7 million fiscal year 2027 general fund budget, adopting what board members described as a “bridge budget” that uses about $17.2 million in fund balance to offset slowing revenue growth while maintaining a proposed property tax rate of 17.331 mills pending final adoption July 15. District officials said the spending plan represents a 3.3% increase over the current revised budget and includes a 2% cost-of-living adjustment, step increases and strategic investments while preparing the district for more significant spending reductions and operational changes in future budgets.
June 3, 2026 – During the June 3 board meeting, a lengthy discussion about the uncertainty of revenue figures from the tax assessor’s office led the board to withdraw the tentative adoption of the fiscal year 2027 budget and millage rate from the agenda.
TRANSPARENCY SCORE
Agenda availability
Days ahead of meeting (1-5): 5
Posted online: (0-1): 1
Meeting packet (0-2): 2
Meeting accessibility
Video/audio (0-1): 1
Streamed online (0-1): 1
Minutes availability
Availability online (0-2): 2
Detail (0-2): 2
Responsiveness
Email inquiries (1-3): 3
Total: 17 out of 17
Context: The full agenda packets are provided well in advance of the meetings, which are easily available to stream live or afterwards. They have been responsive to my inquiries.