Chatham County Board approves alternative accountability for 1 Academy, capital outlay, safety grants and technology purchases

The Chatham County Board of Education approved a slate of operational and budget items at its meeting, voting to adopt an alternative accountability model for the district’s alternative school and to move forward on capital, safety and technology purchases.

On the meeting’s action docket the board unanimously approved: adopting Option B as the alternative accountability model for One Academy for the 2025–26 school year; amending the district’s plan to allow re-administration of EOG and EOC exams during the school year; approving the 2025–26 capital outlay budget; accepting school-safety grant awards and authorizing related purchases; renewing the Daybreak Health Services teletherapy contract; and approving purchases of security cameras and servers, 1,500 replacement Chromebooks and classroom presentation systems.

Accountability model for One Academy Darlene Repkloski, director of accountability, recommended the board select Option B for One Academy, the district’s alternative program. She said Option B uses student persistence (20%), a three-year achievement measure (20%), and a 60% growth calculation to determine a school-level rating of progressing, maintaining or declining. Repkloski also recommended letting the state’s three-year aggregation apply so One Academy’s assessment scores are not routed back to students’ home schools. The board approved the motion by voice vote.

EOG/EOC readministration Repkloski briefed the board on a state change allowing some end-of-grade (EOG) and end-of-course (EOC) re-administrations to occur during the school year rather than only in summer. The board approved an amended summer-program and readministration plan to permit these school-year opportunities.

Capital outlay budget Chris Blyce presented the capital outlay budget, which organizes county-funded projects into building projects, furniture and equipment/technology and vehicles. Blyce said the district requested an additional $250,000 in expanded funding beyond the county allocation and noted an extra $115,000 added last year. The board approved the proposed 2025–26 capital outlay budget.

School-safety grants and Daybreak Health Services Senior executive director Tracy Fowler told the board the district received a $150,000 award from the Center for Safer Schools for security equipment and an additional $75,000 intended for students in crisis; the district asked the board to accept the funds. Fowler and Dr. Mark Sandberg, chief technology officer, asked the board to authorize purchases intended to use the grant money, including a prioritized list of 83 camera projects to address gaps and upgrades.

Fowler also provided an update on the district’s partnership with Daybreak Health Services. The contract approved by the board continues teletherapy services initiated in January 2024 and adds parent education, care coordination for onboarding and exiting, and a resource library. Fowler reported 218 student referrals since January 2024, referrals from 17 campuses, 21 staff referrers, 20% of referrals initiated by parents, a 93% linkage rate to therapy, 87% of students showing clinical improvement, and an average connection time of 2.6 days from paperwork to service. The board approved the Daybreak contract.

Security cameras, servers, Chromebooks and classroom display systems Dr. Sandberg asked the board to authorize spending of the $150,000 safety grant on camera projects, prioritizing coverage gaps, poor-quality cameras, then the oldest equipment. The board authorized camera upgrades to the extent allowed by grant funding and authorized purchase of seven replacement video recording servers (older servers noted to be 10–15 years old).

Sandberg also presented the annual Chromebook replacement plan: purchase of 1,500 Dell Chromebooks at $392 per unit to continue the district’s 1:1 program. He said the district will adjust replacement cadence (shifting to grades 3 and 9 in the longer-term plan) in response to changes in Google support windows and device lifespans. The board approved the Chromebook purchase.

Finally, the board approved procurement of 30 interactive whiteboards and 127 televisions with wireless Airtame adapters to standardize classroom presentation systems across K–12 classrooms and begin a regular replacement cycle.

Votes at a glance - Alternative accountability (One Academy, Option B): approved (voice vote) - EOG/EOC readministration plan (amendment): approved (voice vote) - 2025–26 capital outlay budget: approved (voice vote) - Acceptance of school-safety grant funds (Center for Safer Schools): approved (voice vote) - Daybreak Health Services contract (teletherapy and parent services): approved (voice vote) - Purchase of security camera upgrades (up to $150,000 grant): approved (voice vote) - Purchase of video camera servers: approved (voice vote) - Chromebook purchase (1,500 Dell units at $392 each): approved (voice vote) - Classroom presentation systems (interactive panels and TVs): approved (voice vote)

Several items were presented as informational updates, including an ESS substitute staffing report that showed a reported 99% substitute fill rate and district staffing metrics. The board did not take separate action on the ESS report.