Savannah‑Chatham County officials review federal grants inventory and push contingency planning amid funding uncertainty

District staff on a finance advisory committee meeting presented an inventory of federal, state and private grants that fund instructional programs, student supports and dozens of school‑based positions, and board members pressed district leaders to begin contingency planning in case federal funding is reduced or eliminated.

The presentation, introduced by a district staff member and carried by Sukhana, Director of Compensatory Programs, summarized grants that support literacy, STEM/STEAM, leadership development, social‑emotional supports and special education services. Sukhana told the committee, “we won't for the sake of time go over each of these grants, but know that you have that information available to you.”

Why it matters: several board members said federal grants underwrite staff and services that would be difficult or impossible to replace with local or philanthropic dollars. The district currently counts “225 site‑based positions” funded through Title I and, according to one quick tally shared in the meeting, “377 faculty and staff are attached to federal funds.” The superintendent warned the board that a loss of Title I funding would be catastrophic: “The bottom line to this is if we lost federal funding in Title I, there is no way we make that up… It would cripple public education,” he said.

The grants identified in the presentation include (program names as discussed at the meeting): Innovative Approaches to Literacy (All Aboard Reading Express), Leader in Me, Lighthouse (MSAP), Project Prevent (a single‑site social worker program serving Beach High School, Duran Middle School, Myers Middle School, Gadsden Elementary and Hodge Elementary), an education equity grant (noted as funded in part by Georgia Power), CTAE heavy‑equipment simulators, Title I, Title II Part A (teacher recruitment and certification reimbursement), McKinney‑Vento (homeless education), Title IV (Student Support and Academic Enrichment), Title IV Part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers operating at 24 sites), residential‑treatment education for Coastal Harbor, IDEA flow‑through funds for ages 3–21 (federal Part B), preschool disability services (state), special education parent‑mentor funding, a high‑cost special education fund, capacity‑building grants for literacy for students with disabilities, and GNETS (state and federal supports for students with significant social/behavioral needs).

District staff described program mechanics and administration. For example, the district administers some grants that do not carry administrative or indirect cost allocations (the school improvement literacy coaches were cited as not including an admin fee); other grants such as 21st Century Learning Centers include an administrative allocation pooled by the compensatory programs department to pay staff who work across projects.

Board members and staff pressed on immediate operational details. Questions and clarifications recorded in the meeting included: - Vacancy and staffing pressure: Sukhana said the staffing report included positions “currently getting paid” and that the district had additional vacancies beyond that list; she estimated “at least maybe 15 vacancies” in Title I positions. - Timing of carry‑forward funds: the district is processing its carry‑forward budget and expected GaDOE to release carry‑forward funds in March; that timing compresses purchasing and ordering. - Contingency planning: board members requested a prioritized inventory showing which programs and staff would be highest priorities to preserve if funding were reduced, and asked staff to provide FY26 allocation projections so principals could plan. Sukhana said she intends to “send out FY26 allocations for Title I” noting that the numbers will be projections.

Board discussion also covered advocacy and broader response options. Several members urged communicating with state representatives and with the community about the local consequences of federal changes; others encouraged outreach to corporate partners and advocates for special education. One board member cautioned against expending excessive staff time chasing unknown scenarios but supported preparing prioritized plans.

What the district will do next: staff said they are reviewing discretionary grants (Project Prevent, the education equity grant, and others) and assessing staffing and program adjustments if funding falls. The superintendent and board members urged preparing messages for families and engaging legislative and community partners while continuing to follow federal and state guidance.

The presentation compiled by the compensatory programs office listed program details, school sites served, and funding types; board members requested additional documentation that maps staff positions to specific grants and that outlines possible reallocation strategies.

The committee did not take formal action on funding changes during the meeting; staff committed to provide FY26 Title I allocations and to continue internal program reviews.