[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6214005,"mediaKeyId","3671732-ea16a6fa6022c81612e9457a4c82086f","parentId",3671732,"title","Board discusses sale or lease of school pools with City of Savannah; aims for Jenkins use by summer 2026","audioSeconds",1226,"startMs",934000,"endMs",2160000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3671732-ea16a6fa6022c81612e9457a4c82086f&start=934&end=2160","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3671732-ea16a6fa6022c81612e9457a4c82086f/thumbnail_934000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6214005/Georgia/Board-discusses-sale-or-lease-of-school-pools-with-City-of-Savannah-aims-for-Jenkins-use-by-summer-2026","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6214005-e6a653fbf8f0231ef1dc1845483bae3f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770432209&Signature=NnzenCiGM3EpAacReAB-YU~yT-5XxoFcGXqA7mk7PmWRRh8eurPsCcoaR43XlHPYzfMr2CMSrsuM89mzre7vQQs8qWBiM6gF55p4S3WmM~FE7ISNxtTGhJrET4r1lSXG0Hm~xv3M8pBtx~NF5M2EgE3mDGxaCx-S2b4GMDKls57aBLfb5l9rAc4KIU7c6GI1pcXQTFIbMuKZfDckmVghBhjn3GR4oE7eK2gtLAxcAmfItGs0CrcSW~NsvYoOYtECo62N1xjsD61-eq77xSMVPvqPnFw4DUo6IjI0erbmbPw3eDK75LSq1ZJHbS~w61X-l3QRtGNFJI1b0jeX1EoUKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-05T04:07:00Z","article","District staff told the Board of Public Education on June 4 that the City of Savannah is open to a long-term collaboration to operate several school pools and that the district is negotiating intergovernmental-agreement language with city attorneys.

Miss Davidson, who gave the pool update, said city leaders discussed either a sale of the pool properties or a lease under which the city would operate and manage programming. She said the next steps are to work through intergovernmental agreements with attorneys, and staff are aiming for student use of Jenkins Pool in the summer of 2026 while pursuing repairs to Brock and Haven to make them operable for that same summer.

Key details and fiscal considerations

Davidson said Jenkins Pool currently has water in it and that filters and plaster work have been completed; the site still requires health-department certification and additional security measures before public use. She said city staff suggested the city could potentially operate the pools faster than the district can; the district will present conservative timelines but noted an earlier opening (as soon as August) might be possible if certifications and operations are completed.

District staff said a sale would remove recurring maintenance costs from the district but would require one-time repairs to render Brock and Haven operable; staff said the city is open to a property swap as an alternative to a cash sale and that any transfer would comply with legal requirements (including the option of nominal consideration if required by law). If the district were to lease sites to the city, staff noted an estimated potential annual insurance increase of about $68,000.

Board questions and community concerns

Board members pressed staff on security and historical preservation. Doctor Brinkman asked whether the district must retain ownership of the land and whether it could transfer the parcel entirely to the city; Davidson said legal pros and cons exist and that transfers would be based on whatever legal requirement applies. Multiple board members urged staff to preserve historical context at pool sites — for example, plaques or interpretive materials describing the sites’ local significance — and to consider academic uses such as CTAE programs and underwater robotics when structuring agreements.

Schumann site

Staff said they anticipate closing and possibly repurposing the Schumann site; when asked by board members, staff recommended pausing any demolition or filling action until the property’s future use is determined since the parcel may be suitable for affordable housing or CTAE-related activities.

What was decided

No formal vote was taken. Staff were directed to continue negotiating intergovernmental agreement language with city attorneys, to pursue property-swap options, to assess security and health-certification steps needed for Jenkins and the other pools, and to revisit Schumann only after clarifying future property plans.

Ending

Board members expressed support for the collaborative approach and asked staff to include protections for student access, public safety measures for unsecured pools and historical recognition at sites as part of any agreement with the city.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Informal Session - June 4, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","District staff told the Board of Public Education on June 4 that the City of Savannah is open to a long-term collaboration to operate several school pools and that the district is negotiating intergovernmental-agreement language with city attorneys.","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},6214010,"Board hears budget update as tax digest delay leaves millage and revenues uncertain",3139,289000,3428000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3671732-ea16a6fa6022c81612e9457a4c82086f&start=289&end=3428","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3671732-ea16a6fa6022c81612e9457a4c82086f/thumbnail_289000.jpg","/articles/6214010/Georgia/Board-hears-budget-update-as-tax-digest-delay-leaves-millage-and-revenues-uncertain","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6214010-d384a671e014c81e564279fde782b13d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770432209&Signature=oRkqstfMFaGnNMzeodZF0zxCjKk0ZLmk6WCmlEdQ1BehOBYwlM8oPX4dTC~Aiye66PG6aBvKuud9Y2HCgIRV8CN~J0RoC5EpilWgexxvgDWCrwfdqEVllZqUB~FR73PaBUOtkaRYTtIsHpsQUtzRPwtWjW4UT2YfLIK-LCQ5CaKMpb4yM5ySJai-SymBWZbGc4PL~NLMxyvw0e2c0U-y11GJWN7wBYI80OmKrlLmjLZpI9wKYYU3~NbyCQVHgqBYPzZ3Ek4X-4Be7UShUXNc5l5lISElY9xss9G69TrJHGjrbUGLzqQ~u-1SEvuqoXRnZqFi7mhzebUOMBNkEb1Shw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Finance staff presented a revised general-fund budget forecast June 4 to the Board of Public Education and told members the district’s revenue projections remain uncertain because the Chatham County tax digest and final state and federal figures have not yet been received.

Paige Cooley, a finance staff member, told the board the district originally projected 10% local growth in Chatham County but has been told informally that growth will be about 7.05 percent; she said the assessor’s office emailed that information but has not yet provided formal documentation. Cooley also said the state projection supplied earlier remains unchanged and that federal amounts remain uncertain.

The revised general-fund revenues shown on the slide deck are $657,500,000 and general-fund expenditures $659,500,000, leaving increased reliance on a use of fund balance estimated at $1,900,000. Cooley said the district has adjusted several line items in response: reducing the charter-school allocation estimate, changing the teacher vacancy-factor assumptions to reflect recent hire patterns, lowering the utilities estimate to $9,200,000 for fiscal 2026, and increasing the overall vacancy factor to account for currently unfilled positions.

Why it matters: the county tax digest determines local revenue available to the district and the digest delay — which staff tied to House Bill 581 — leaves the board unable to set a final millage rate. Board members discussed the timing of required public notices and the effect of any millage decision on the district’s investments and fund balance.

Board discussion and next steps

Board members asked for more historical detail about projected versus collected millage revenue. Doctor Ringman asked staff to produce the slide showing several years of projections compared with actual collections; Ringman said the board has rolled back millage in prior years and wants data showing whether the district typically over- or under-collects. Cooley and other staff said they use the numbers provided by the county assessor when available and that delinquency estimates are the primary source of year-to-year variance.

Several board members asked specific questions: Miss Grabowski asked whether start-up funds are needed for swing sites (staff answered no, because swing sites already in use); Mister Smith asked how start-up amounts for new campuses are determined (staff said historical costs and a flat-rate approach based on school size, e.g., $500,000 for elementary, $750,000 for high school); Doctor Howard Hall asked whether federal program staff had received guidance on next year’s federal funds (staff said no final information yet and that Miss Sukhonic, who handles federal programs, had not received notifications).

Scheduling and adoption timeline

Cooley said because the county digest is delayed the board must shift its meeting schedule: a tentative adoption presentation was made at the informal meeting, staff plan to hold meetings on June 17 (with both an 11 a.m. and a 6 p.m. session) and to adopt the final budget and millage at a public meeting on Wednesday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m., assuming the county provides digest figures in time.

What was not decided

No formal vote was taken at the informal meeting. Board members discussed options — including lowering the millage rate — but Cooley and other staff warned that reducing the millage without offsetting levers would require increasing use of fund balance or changing planned program investments. Staff agreed to provide the historical project-versus-collection data for the board’s millage discussions.

Ending

Staff emphasized the tentative nature of the numbers until the county assessor and state provide final figures. The board set a path for further review and scheduled meetings that would permit final adoption after receipt of the tax digest and any updated state/federal figures.","Finance staff presented a revised general-fund budget forecast June 4 to the Board of Public Education and told members the district’s revenue projections remain uncertain because the Chatham County tax digest and final state and federal figures have not yet been received.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6214001,"Board reviews quarterly change orders; members press accountability for design errors",378,3222000,3600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3671732-ea16a6fa6022c81612e9457a4c82086f&start=3222&end=3600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3671732-ea16a6fa6022c81612e9457a4c82086f/thumbnail_3222000.jpg","/articles/6214001/Georgia/Board-reviews-quarterly-change-orders-members-press-accountability-for-design-errors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6214001-846bec4688a9c6de8f3fb74029fedeac/orig.mp4?Expires=1770432209&Signature=ZBTDz~gA33llKleemMSPQrU8LHJW863qX2h6eeF1ttQQOsARkhgYxcjg8pdHOlpQxroQBkaqqqZlwhvxRYwD3jVPbqxHhjWIyZCQ--2j8feILPfvGbLWJPLgPUCztkpOqD7ufFRhyWgVnNwFo~8uSByWyrBWP0lme235Pa7sESJQebc6GSWsoQjtLTOEZhPcVtCTzCu8Vc8eb-Cdlf2L4rD92CL6t5TlcH64Bu0mTsNP5ZBb8pLmN7jNOzoKuCqD~Y~FdjFqQUuCXPJC-5LmY0flhZouC665T3llS-3oIA3z1qShpfJh6QeUvzyAFXg0xyi2pqpAloXIwbjFo~suwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District staff presented the quarterly change-order report for the first quarter (Jan. 1–March 31, 2025) and noted four change orders over $50,000 had already received board approval; other change orders were approved by the superintendent under board policy.

A board member asked whether the Henderson error was an owner error or vendor error; facilities staff said it was a design omission (missing casework in the architect’s drawings) and that the contractor performed additional work accordingly. The board discussed whether and how design professionals are held accountable; staff said accountability is applied through project-evaluation processes and selection for future work and that there is not a fixed dollar threshold to require a designer to pay for corrections.

Groves project and wall failure

Board members raised the Groves site as a continuing example. Staff described a 2022 wall failure that required a design review and corrective plan; an architectural review and field inspections followed and the architect produced a plan to reconstruct and prevent recurrence. The board was told contingency funds are used to address design and construction changes and that larger disputes have sometimes produced shared responsibility or contractor/designer remedies.

Other discussion points

Board members asked whether the district ever refuses to re-engage a design firm after repeated errors; staff said there have been instances where past performance affected future awards but declined to provide details in open session. The presenter said larger, more substantive failures can result in designers stepping up to accept responsibility and that the district evaluates performance in future procurements.

What was decided

No formal vote was taken. The board asked facilities staff to continue enforcing evaluation processes and to report as needed; the report covered change orders approved through the superintendent’s workflow and those already brought to the board for approval.

Ending

Members reiterated interest in stronger accountability and clearer remedies when errors and omissions impose additional costs; staff pointed to ongoing evaluation in procurement decisions and contingency funding practices to manage project risk.","The board received a first-quarter change-order report covering January–March 2025. Board members questioned recurring design errors and omissions, including a casework omission at Henderson and a 2022 wall failure at Groves; staff described contingency use and evaluation practices for designers and contractors.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board discusses sale or lease of school pools with City of Savannah; aims for Jenkins use by summer 2026

Board hears budget update as tax digest delay leaves millage and revenues uncertain

Board reviews quarterly change orders; members press accountability for design errors