Savannah school board approves $14.8M renovation plan for Woodville Tompkins High School

The Regular Board Meeting held on July 9, 2025, focused on several key agenda items, including school safety measures and budget adoption for capital projects.

The meeting began with discussions on enhancing school safety. Dr. Brinkman highlighted the implementation of panic duress alarm buttons throughout the district, emphasizing that these systems provide an additional layer of security. The board acknowledged the importance of redundancy in safety measures, ensuring that schools remain secure during renovations.

Following the safety discussion, the board moved to Item 9.04, which involved the adoption of the East Plus 5 budget. This budget was necessitated by the approval of an extension of the educational special purpose local option sales tax by voters on March 18, 2025. The new capital projects fund will track revenues and expenditures related to this initiative. The board unanimously approved the multi-year budget, which includes detailed project designations for better record-keeping.

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the renovation plans for Woodville Tompkins High School. Dr. Howard Hall expressed concerns regarding the allocation of $14.8 million for the school, particularly regarding the status of the Lower Woodville campus. He noted the confusion surrounding the terms used in the project descriptions, such as "preconstruction" and "demolition," and sought clarity on whether a new building would replace the demolished structure.

In response, district officials confirmed that the budget does include plans for constructing a new building near the Upper Campus, alongside necessary improvements to the Upper Woodville facilities, including a new roof and HVAC system. The board assured that the project would proceed with careful planning to ensure that Woodville Tompkins operates effectively as a high school.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to keep the community informed about the developments at Woodville Tompkins and the overall progress of the capital projects. The board emphasized the importance of transparency and collaboration as they move forward with these significant renovations.