[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6282804,"mediaKeyId","2592204-eff12221133876e255e90711704d9d3d","parentId",2592204,"title","Committee reviews proposed 2025–26 staffing formula changes; debate centers on admin growth versus classroom investment","audioSeconds",2270,"startMs",1417000,"endMs",3687000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2592204-eff12221133876e255e90711704d9d3d&start=1417&end=3687","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2592204-eff12221133876e255e90711704d9d3d/thumbnail_1417000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6282804/Georgia/Committee-reviews-proposed-202526-staffing-formula-changes-debate-centers-on-admin-growth-versus-classroom-investment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6282804-2cd64d80baa8226b8b6a671cfd0e98bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180850&Signature=d6GvSjhU0SWzutBnxhLok1WTI4jDLc-4xHFI1MTy0LrA32xAOYCMMXzzGCUtLqt5eemumosZ~jDpumqogfVgmEKw5XvlQcmBgaaooB--CpWOUlB9eNngzR0fOwGeUmeVrf0Ew4cwZWMACkjUFVdLqqII~Mu-ma-A8Xu0SAG2562E~7a0oYUAgzqvyu44JZ1TwAD3fc0ay9HphLBAE8vz04RExvsK9vwybfOo1TL1aDxLnuq-cx~DkCaueu4myIDgOaNnEfDD480gVSP5Mipa-plvW-YRFZPl4QObZQTo9NVlB7q1LiBfAaYYrOL4oM1HqqTBNoRh2oqPlhTW9CuSjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-13T02:32:56Z","article","District staff presented proposed 2025–26 changes to the staffing formula to the Finance Committee on March 12, outlining reallocations and formula adjustments affecting assistant principals, counselors, secretaries, media clerks and other subject specialists.

The presentation, delivered during a committee meeting of the Savannah‑Chatham County Board of Education, described several specific formula changes and the district’s approach to pay for them from current‑year savings rather than new recurring funds. Staff said the proposal would reduce fractional (0.5) allocations and convert many to whole positions to improve continuity at schools, and that some central-office positions budgeted in prior years would move to school-level assignments.

Why it matters: The changes would affect how administrative, counseling and support resources are distributed across schools. Board members debated whether adding administrative positions is the most effective use of limited resources, pressing staff for measurable outcomes tied to added roles and for a differentiation mechanism to reflect school complexity (free/reduced lunch, special education, discipline referral rates).

Key proposed changes explained by staff

- Assistant principals: Staff proposed rounding fractional allocations and adjusting the student‑to‑assistant‑principal formula so that, for example, schools in a particular high‑school enrollment band would receive two assistant principals rather than 1.5; staff said the change responds to very large K–8 and high schools that need more onsite administrative support.
- Counselors: Staff said many counselor positions budgeted in central administration would be reassigned to schools; staff emphasized the net increase across the district would be one full‑time equivalent, with the goal of aligning staffing with American School Counselor Association standards and high‑school college-and-career advising needs.
- Secretaries and attendance: The baseline allocation would be adjusted so that shared 0.5 secretarial positions are rounded to full positions and secretaries would also carry attendance responsibilities to reduce backlog and improve recordkeeping.
- Media clerks and technology: The role of the media clerk would expand to include broader technology management for 1:1 device environments and to relieve certified library/media technology specialists of clerical device-management duties. Staff said moving point‑five media positions to whole positions would provide consistency rather than alternating shared schedules across schools.
- Other subject specialists: Staff proposed adding elective/subject specialist positions at middle and K–8 levels (band, chorus, world language, arts) so feeder patterns support high‑school course offerings.

Board discussion and points of contest

Board members broadly welcomed the effort to consult principals and to respond to school needs, but several asked for stronger, data‑driven evidence that added administrative staff produces measurable improvements. Members raised alternative priorities such as reducing class size and shifting resources toward direct classroom instruction and asked for metrics (discipline incident reductions, counseling outcomes, attendance improvements) that would justify keeping new positions.

Notable remarks included Dr. Barnes, the presenting administrator, who said, “the first and primary thing that we want administrators to do is be instructional leaders in the buildings that they're serving in,” and a board member who said, “I would much rather hire more teachers than more administrators,” expressing a preference for classroom investment over administrative expansion. Several members asked staff to develop a differentiation model that weights allocations by school complexity (student needs, free‑and‑reduced percentage, special education and discipline load).

Budget and implementation notes

Staff told the committee the proposed adjustments would be funded from current budget savings and that the district expects to return refined materials and corrected slides (staff acknowledged at least one typographical inconsistency between slide colors and values). Staff also said final allocation rules and job descriptions for assistant principals, deans of students and other roles would remain a local implementation decision for principals, with district guidance on expectations.

Ending

The committee did not vote on the staffing formula. Staff were asked to provide clearer documentation, corrected presentation materials, a plan for differentiation by need, role descriptions for assistant principals and media/library personnel, and suggested metrics to measure position effectiveness before the board considers final adoption in the budget process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Finance Advisory Committee - March 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","District staff presented proposed 2025–26 changes to the staffing formula to the Finance Committee on March 12, outlining reallocations and formula adjustments affecting assistant principals, counselors, secretaries, media clerks and other subject specialists.","taxTitle","Savannah-Chatham County, School Districts, Georgia","taxId",15361,"location","Georgia","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6282809,"Finance committee reviews supplemental retirement proposal for classified employees",401,178000,579000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2592204-eff12221133876e255e90711704d9d3d&start=178&end=579","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2592204-eff12221133876e255e90711704d9d3d/thumbnail_178000.jpg","/articles/6282809/Georgia/Finance-committee-reviews-supplemental-retirement-proposal-for-classified-employees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6282809-10a489da1c43005ba360983c3d4c1b8e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180850&Signature=M9u3~jloJiSGY-qN2cooXts~8xixk-OlxbTdgUKv2lx2-wbVyRMig3cUvX-Esb3ALsMKYHiDNidVQRhuiD4-Y99fIrj5RUzkBASRE58C-h~hlHILxX1ySeoAqMskJnNIHlUIH0zRFlj96memq-FbZFBIh5jotHFY0Q~fh0ZKPfduCyRPyG-xepE-Mjdl7WHkZuDMgoyJ4v9r-84BiW3v~ShEWM~WjDlEJ9jx0zBDSg2dkWixX471x3P3CYngQhM5CMEYGW~mI8hzmzP7KU9r9ODSBdYEZEUDsYAtaJyar7kktuPX~gYcKX~Qg82pk-xEruUpXrm-msa5XD9kJRi6ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A staff presenter gave the Finance Committee of the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education a briefing March 12 on supplemental retirement options for classified (hourly and non‑TRS) employees and a district proposal to offer an employer match to voluntary 403(b)/457 accounts.

The presenter told the committee that the district’s classified employees are overwhelmingly covered by a supplemental plan administered at the state level (referred to in the briefing as PSCRS) and contrasted that plan with the Teacher Retirement System (TRS). The presenter said PSCRS was established in 1970 as a supplemental retirement benefit for employees who are not covered by TRS and noted that members receiving the PSCRS benefit typically include bus drivers, school service workers, maintenance and custodial staff and some managers. The presenter said members contribute either $4 or $10 per pay period, that employees must earn 10 years of service to vest, and that retirement eligibility was described in the briefing as involving both age and years-of-service thresholds discussed during the meeting.

Why it matters: classified staff make up a substantial share of district employees who do not participate in TRS. The committee discussion framed the proposal as a tool for recruitment and retention and asked for cost details and plan design options.

Key details from the presentation

- Scope: The presenter said 785 positions are in the supplemental plan population discussed and showed total salaries for those positions at about $26,800,000.
- Cost scenarios: Using those salary figures, the presenter provided employer-match examples: a 3% employer match (paired with a 3% employee contribution) was shown at about $805,000 annually; a 4% match was shown near $1,100,000. The presenter said many districts that offer a match commonly use a 3% match and noted one district reported a 4.5% match.
- Enrollment design: The presenter said the district’s preference would be automatic enrollment with an opt‑out option (\"have employees opt out, not opt in\"), and that vendors estimate roughly 85% participation when automatic enrollment is used.
- Vendor management: Staff recommended using a single recordkeeper for the district plan going forward to reduce administrative and management costs; current arrangements include multiple vendors for 403(b) plans.
- Vesting and distribution limits: The presenter said the district would apply IRS rules to design vesting for the employer portion, and recommended a vesting schedule that would require an employee to remain for about five years to receive the district’s full match — a limit the presenter said is driven by IRS rules.

Committee reaction and clarifying questions

Board members welcomed the proposal as a recruitment and retention tool. One board member asked for a district-wide figure on the local employer cost of paying into Social Security; staff said they would provide that number. Another board member recommended adopting design choices that do not cost the district but are beneficial to employees (for example, allowing age-50 catch-up contributions and maximizing lawful withdrawal flexibility). A board member noted earlier conflicts with TRS and pay practices in prior years but expressed support for improving classified-staff pay and benefits.

What was not decided

There was no formal vote on a plan design or to authorize implementation. Staff presented multiple design choices (3%, 4%, 4.5%, vendor consolidation, auto‑enroll with opt‑out, and a five‑year vesting expectation tied to IRS rules) for later board consideration and requested direction on preferred match levels and program details.

Ending

Staff said they would return with additional data requested by committee members, including the total district cost of participating in Social Security and any further cost estimates or vendor information needed to finalize a recommended plan design.","Finance Committee members heard an overview of the Public School Certified Retirement System and a staff proposal to offer a district-level 403(b)/457 employer match for classified (PSCRS) employees, including estimated costs, opt-out enrollment, vendor consolidation and vesting rules tied to IRS limits.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee reviews proposed 2025–26 staffing formula changes; debate centers on admin growth versus classroom investment

Finance committee reviews supplemental retirement proposal for classified employees