[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"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","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,74,86,98],{"_32":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":55,"_73":55},"mediaId",6185874,"mediaKeyId","5079156-a75797579aa05f975b7755f5129c49b8","parentId",5079156,"title","Board renews contracts for speech‑language pathology and school psychology services, staff to pursue university partnerships","audioSeconds",101,"startMs",912000,"endMs",1013000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5079156-a75797579aa05f975b7755f5129c49b8&start=912&end=1013","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5079156-a75797579aa05f975b7755f5129c49b8/thumbnail_912000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6185874/Georgia/Board-renews-contracts-for-speechlanguage-pathology-and-school-psychology-services-staff-to-pursue-university-partnerships","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185874-c9f3c7dbabd7af077889d8561342c3b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770105733&Signature=YuEmIf~OJf8827uACKjZGCMaGeCDJkWVAsZhjealev4UYwgnXWsYghBgXTMmnFU4dBJhM1JmnMtZguUzkNBQSCItnznuPriaMmGud8BW053z0Vx-EsYYiMMbOGkOI8aioTOtQeLG3nuGR1dGv2dZwODSv3GVyjO7guJerMgVSYfFei-TfSUm2t5okDFu-GEco-fA0zjrX16Um2dSX9v5MkvZNcrzC-OfriefeeTZwJNPLg4XeAeOTDfFvhEd4GgpdTu3fzgbmb4Sw5aJzl49TiVLGOevdWyn17og6dc8Q0~XTVGp7eob8x9-w211p7sj2MhWCS7UUtOIKp43R3vTTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-26T14:21:59.5Z","article","The board approved renewal of annual contracts under RFP 24‑18 for speech‑language pathology and school psychology services to eight firms for an additional one‑year period, with one optional additional one‑year renewal remaining.

Staff said the renewals will continue vendor‑provided services that supplement district staff, some delivered virtually and some in person, on an as‑needed basis for students with identified services. The transcript records an estimated cost figure that appears garbled in the audio; staff’s presentation noted an estimated total cost but the exact figure was not clearly stated in the meeting transcript.

Board members discussed the district’s ongoing difficulty recruiting and retaining speech‑language pathologists. Several members encouraged staff to pursue partnerships with Georgia Southern University’s speech‑language pathology program to create a pipeline of clinicians who could work in district schools; staff said a meeting with Georgia Southern was planned within the coming month.

The board approved the contract renewals by voice vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","SPECIAL CALLED BOARD MEETING FINAL BUDGET AND MILLAGE RATE ADOPTION","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved one‑year renewals (with one optional additional year) for contracts issued under RFP 24‑18 to eight agencies providing speech‑language pathology and school psychology services; board members urged district staff to pursue partnerships with Georgia Southern to expand long‑term staffing pipelines.","taxTitle","Savannah-Chatham County, School Districts, Georgia","taxId",15361,"location","Georgia","headline","shortSummary",{"_32":75,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":76,"_40":77,"_42":78,"_44":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":55,"_73":55},6185879,"District approves $618,000 transfer to replace campus police radios and MDTs for 911 interoperability",192,503000,695000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5079156-a75797579aa05f975b7755f5129c49b8&start=503&end=695","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5079156-a75797579aa05f975b7755f5129c49b8/thumbnail_503000.jpg","/articles/6185879/Georgia/District-approves-618000-transfer-to-replace-campus-police-radios-and-MDTs-for-911-interoperability","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185879-d3af4c62d2079f3a4e228253b78d6639/orig.mp4?Expires=1770105733&Signature=bnB6vQFv8~RYzn~rmkqjMoAj8iS9b7MjoVU1JIUp1ALQbbcVEIrCtSFmIcML2FsWu84QoB3SMieCeIICmEcWcD~yFuf2g2eJg68uFEnNpY7Ed8PeesN9tZSywOD8WCqtG2Lp5evUvZ01NHnUFf6hi8AvWkpLL-Fqy6iT4tevNh38~iufV9Lj6DPwCxvRB8GWVhJCkuh51xiP1wgnsC5PkTHrotnaCzUDKG8nDEzmf-c~G9-XAE-J-gywsZYuENOYej0QkvlqDFoXDTbazSmHUzcirzIhAsuZZilBW709Sp4gNoHi2EsQHUx4cVg-3qclIBm55RNBtSBOIA6FIoVelg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The board approved a budget transfer and amendment totaling $618,000 to replace aging campus police radios and mobile data terminals (MDTs).

District staff told the board the current radios and MDTs are near end of life, will not be compatible with the district’s new 911 center and would become costly to maintain. Staff said the replacement will provide interoperability with county public safety partners — fire, EMS, police and emergency management — and allow officers to receive dispatches directly on MDTs, improving access to real‑time information during responses.

Staff confirmed training for officers on the new equipment will be required and that training costs are included in the $618,000 request. The board moved, seconded and approved the transfer and amendment by voice vote.","Staff requested and the board approved a budget transfer and amendment of $618,000 to replace end‑of‑life radios and mobile data terminals for campus police to ensure compatibility with the new 911 center and interoperability with county public safety partners.",{"_32":87,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":88,"_40":89,"_42":90,"_44":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":55,"_73":55},6185884,"Board approves $1.35 million teacher supply grant to provide $500 stipend to classroom teachers",257,702000,959000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5079156-a75797579aa05f975b7755f5129c49b8&start=702&end=959","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5079156-a75797579aa05f975b7755f5129c49b8/thumbnail_702000.jpg","/articles/6185884/Georgia/Board-approves-135-million-teacher-supply-grant-to-provide-500-stipend-to-classroom-teachers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185884-babb0ee820d7f06b1b1a9c97442fbea2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770105733&Signature=LELHKrknIE5kp9CQ9gsEhLImjEzTQy9ArdpxGpqA3esb2CS3fveze349GUneRXxvN4uyLc5WNQMocIgdCOOqCxXK~PC0poLlJqcooMDByhTYq8hyT9YjyVIS3Z-vax~wX07mUj81fR0G3ZVM1vxqkFmZe9tGLvGaC7Bifk8O0IYK45nuyaOjNiR~T30KvtE9f25hdcuCdroO~tZbjjV5xClrGA3b89yTPhdEj31zr55qj9Q9PkiLEkciTyJJAXFVBzvofher~fbFhSPsNhgiex9R2z1ENmvAS3bCKlroMxuRBakVN~BWpJ0MOvn8miO~KG9qpQpv9dE8f9Xt1usYHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Public Education approved a one‑time strategic teacher supply grant intended to provide $500 to roughly 2,700 classroom teachers to purchase instructional materials and classroom supplies.

Staff described the program as a targeted, one‑time expenditure to reduce out‑of‑pocket spending by teachers for classroom supplies. The board’s motion authorized a budget amendment to fund the program in the amount of $1,350,000.

Superintendent Dr. Watts told board members the district will form a committee to operationalize the grant and to ensure funds are used for the program’s intended purposes; staff committed to having processes in place by the start of the school year. Board members praised the grant as a direct way to reduce teachers’ personal expenditures; Dr. Howard Hall, a board member and former teacher, said he was pleased to see support for classroom educators.

The board approved the budget transfer and amendment by voice vote.","The board approved a one‑time strategic teacher supply grant to provide $500 each to about 2,700 classroom teachers; staff said a committee will design the distribution and oversight processes before the school year starts.",{"_32":99,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":100,"_40":101,"_42":102,"_44":102,"_46":103,"_48":104,"_50":105,"_52":106,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":107,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":108,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":55,"_73":55},6185889,"Savannah‑Chatham school board adopts FY26 budgets, recommends 17.331‑mill levy",0,1077000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5079156-a75797579aa05f975b7755f5129c49b8&start=1077&end=1077","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5079156-a75797579aa05f975b7755f5129c49b8/thumbnail_1077000.jpg","/articles/6185889/Georgia/SavannahChatham-school-board-adopts-FY26-budgets-recommends-17331mill-levy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185889-c8355303c39f42b11d15963f6edf7120/orig.mp4?Expires=1770105733&Signature=hdfyS4EyepFxJH1DcEs48gH5ZEAGCLEwTDIMZBFJOVliFqM9AWEblUnwiFEFWA-wAI36Y~f6MDuGd2cCIq17XRdfmVT-MbODWol6Um53RPREuUvzaFp~qxp2qFB1TWqU841CZ94h3w6RHuRYztUbN8c0~4gqyywy9CjWWxVsU9Zq1PgO04te9yvj~5mWSVmISXksubxyCWMFEJqQcI0uL6k~Rm87SnzfhivAwbaztDcJJhZ4fWYlXWuXLFp0g23gfRotqxfCYIgsyXBy244c0F5z9YtShLoI9ZYoficJOInynI47C-SyyYOMvTG1HpZhYIaK6vmfrC2IgQhJeFcRoQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Public Education for the City of Savannah and the County of Chatham adopted the fiscal year 2026 budgets for all funds on June 25 and recommended a combined maintenance‑and‑operation millage rate of 17.331 mills, a 0.15‑mill rollback from the tentative rate presented in June.

The adopted general fund budget totals $656,639,339. The board recorded estimated revenue sources as $438,111,005 in local revenue, $215,284,590 in state revenue and $1,300,000 in federal revenue, with a planned use of fund balance of $1,943,744. The board also adopted budgets for capital projects ($162,123,459), special revenue funds, and other funds, and recommended 0 mills for general obligation bond debt.

Deputy Superintendent Stacey Taylor told the board the district is shifting toward “return on investment” budgeting, saying the district has developed a program inventory, launched an ROI dashboard and will use midyear checkpoints and monthly expenditure tracking to evaluate programs. Taylor said the district had “laid the groundwork to make return on investment, ROI, a core part of our budget decision‑making process.”

Board members discussed the district’s projected fund balance and reserve targets at length. Staff estimated an end‑of‑year unassigned fund balance around $186 million—above the board’s three‑month target but well below the five‑month ceiling the board referenced. Board members noted the recommended millage would reduce local tax revenue by roughly $2.8 million compared with the tentative rate and emphasized the tradeoffs between tax relief and maintaining reserves for unanticipated costs such as transportation, vacancies, facility repairs and emergency response.

Several board members urged stronger year‑round engagement and earlier, more detailed budget scenarios — for example, a menu showing revenue and expenditure outcomes at alternative rollback levels — so members and the public can better see what specific cuts or uses of fund balance would mean for programs and services. Board members also discussed a vacancy factor of about $22.4 million and said prolonged vacancies had educational impacts in classrooms across the district.

The board’s recommended millage must be advertised as a tax increase under state law because it does not match the tax assessor’s rollback calculation; staff cited OCGA 48‑5‑32.1 in explaining the required advertising. The board adopted the budgets and directed staff to advertise the recommended millage rates as required by law. The board approved the motion by voice vote.","The Board of Public Education for the City of Savannah and Chatham County adopted the fiscal year 2026 budgets for all funds and recommended a combined maintenance‑and‑operation millage of 17.331 mills, a 0.15‑mill rollback from the tentative rate; staff was directed to advertise the rate as required by state law.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board renews contracts for speech‑language pathology and school psychology services, staff to pursue university partnerships

District approves $618,000 transfer to replace campus police radios and MDTs for 911 interoperability

Board approves $1.35 million teacher supply grant to provide $500 stipend to classroom teachers

Savannah‑Chatham school board adopts FY26 budgets, recommends 17.331‑mill levy