SCCPSS - Furlough and Bell Times Decisions

The Savannah-Chatham County school board is meeting right now. Hot topics being discussed include furlough days (days off without pay) and a new 4-tier bell system that would cut transportation costs.

More than $5 million must be cut from Savannah-Chatham County schools' budget. That means the district will be implementing the furlough days passed down from Governor Purdue.

They are also facing a 3% cut in state funds. In an effort to take a bite out of their shortcomings, they board voted to approve a new 4-tiered bell system that would reduce the number of buses and drivers needed by the district. Chief Operations Officer, Otis Brock, says that would save the district $2.1 million dollars. Click here for bell times/reaction.

District 6's Lori Brady wants to know why the elementary schools won't start earlier and the secondary start later. Otis Brock says that a committee including principals, alternative and specialty program officials, athletics, transportation, First Student, etc.

Dr. Lockamy says that he was charged with researching elementary and secondary school start times and that the ideal time for elementary students to start is 8:45. When he researched the topic, he says childcare and athletics were among reasons for keeping the start time for older students earlier and younger students later.

Brady wants a conversation next time bell schedules are discussed before it gets to the community. She says they wanted to be involved in the schedules.

District 2's Floyd Adams wants to know what is going to happen when the 2nd tier elementary students, set to begin at 9:05 a.m., are late. Brock says they've worked it out so everyone will be on time for school.

Irene Hines, of district 5, says that she has an issue with the second tier because many of those students have parents who work so she doesn't want them to be home alone. Her other concern is about computer assignments. If they don't get home early enough, Hines says they won't be able to get to community centers with computers to do their homework before the facilities close.

Alexander Luten, of district 3, asked what would happen to those in specialty programs. Brock says that they will probably reduce the number of bus stops and that children may have to walk a few blocks farther.

District 4's Greg Sapp is concerned about family time. He also says we have to remember that the district moved the start times back a few years ago, so it's really a 50 minute change. Sapp says we've been talking about a hub system for specialty schools for years and that the board should be presented with it. Sapp says "We would get a better educational result by starting elementary schools earlier and secondary schools later,"

Sapp says one thing that aggravates him in government is saying that they can't do things because they "won't work" and that we should find ways to make things work.

Sapp says the 9:05 a.m. start time is better than the 9:20 and that it's too late to be waiting to make a decision.

Julie Gerbsch of district 7 says they're moving in the right direction with the high school times and that the number one reason for truancy is because students don't wake up and go to school.

Brock says in these tough fiscal times, they will have to dig deeper into transportation.

All board members voted to approve the new bell times.

Lockamy says they should have taken more time to discuss this earlier and Gerbsch says parents should have been included in the decision.

A new online mentoring program, In2Books is also on today's agenda. It pairs 800 4th graders in the district with mentors throughout the community. Each mentor will read the same book as their student. They will then discuss the stories online. Click here for more on In2Books.