District unveils E‑5 prioritization tool as board presses for faster HVAC and plumbing fixes

Savannah-Chatham County Public School System staff presented a draft E‑5 prioritization tool at the August 2025 Capital Improvements Committee meeting, saying the score-based system is intended to create a “consistent, objective and transparent process” for deciding which school projects to fund and schedule.

The tool assigns weighted categories — safety and support systems, infrastructure condition, project readiness and resources, past East/West projects, monetary savings, site capacity and future planning — and scores each project from 0 to 5. “This presentation is intended solely as a working draft to guide discussion, gather input,” said Miss Davidson, a staff member who led the presentation. “It does not represent a final plan, a formal agreement, a contract of any kind.”

Board members and staff debated how heavily to weight the Facilities Condition Index (FCI), which is used in the infrastructure category and accounts for roughly 25% of the tool’s score. “I’m concerned that we may have facilities that are in good shape that’s outscoring a facility that’s literally falling down,” said Dr. Howard Hall, a committee member, referring to the possibility that the weighting could let some dangerous conditions rank lower than others. Davidson answered that the team adjusted infrastructure scores where recent repairs had been made and that the FCI data used are about two years old.

The committee also pressed for immediate responses to urgent HVAC and plumbing issues. Committee member Miss Hall said Windsor Forest Elementary’s plumbing is “deplorable” and that some bathrooms were unusable; Davidson said maintenance addressed an incident in the spring involving items blocking commodes and that restrooms are currently operable, but confirmed the school is an aging building slated to begin design work in January 2026. Davidson added the district recently received board approval for roughly $5,500,000 that will fund immediate HVAC fixes and allow temporary classroom units to be repurposed later as part of renovations.

Several members argued that HVAC needs across the district require faster action. “HVAC systems are essential in Savannah,” said Mister Moss, a committee member. Board members and staff said temporary measures — portable units and targeted repairs — are being used while longer-term projects are scheduled.

Committee members also elevated a health hazard at the maintenance and transportation campus. Davidson described the site as an aging facility on septic that requires pumping twice weekly at a cost of about $8,000 to prevent raw sewage from backing up into staff spaces. She said the condition contributed to raising that campus’s priority. “When you have a health hazard like that, that’s safety also,” said a committee member during discussion.

Several members asked for more site visits and updated FCI numbers before the board adopts a final prioritized list. Committee members emphasized the need to account for cash flow, project-management capacity and swing-site availability when turning the prioritization into a multi-year schedule. Davidson said the team will update timelines, bring back revised scoring, and work with charter leaders and legal staff on charter-school prioritization.

The committee approved routine meeting business at the start of the session: Miss Hall moved to approve the June minutes, Miss Grabowski seconded, and the vote was unanimous; Miss Grabowski moved to approve the day’s agenda, Miss Hall seconded, and the agenda was approved unanimously.

Next steps identified in the meeting included updating FCI data for the board, returning with revised prioritization and timelines, continued temporary HVAC mitigation where immediate need exists, and further site walkthroughs to validate scores and avoid reliance on “whoever shouts the loudest.”