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

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…