Savannah-Chatham school system faces $6.1 million budget shortfall; superintendent says it could be larger

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System faces a $6.1 million budget shortfall, and that number could grow.

The school system may have to pass a budget without knowing how much revenue it will receive from the county’s tax digest, which accounts for around two-thirds of the school system’s revenue source, according to superintendent Denise Watts.

Watts said they likely won’t receive the tax digest for another month, which means they might have to pass a budget without complete information.

“Here’s what I’ve heard so far about our budget. We don’t actually know what our expenses are going to be, and we don’t know what our revenue is going to be…but we have to vote on a budget in our formal, regular meeting,” said Shawn Kachmar, District Four board member.

What’s getting cut:

Without knowledge of how much revenue they’ll receive from the county, the current budget proposal is tentative.

It includes a $4.2 million reduction to inflation-based raises for staff, but the number may still go higher.

“It could definitely grow,” Watts said.

Cutting employee raises isn’t the only reduction. Delayed paraprofessional hiring and reductions in legal services and emergency weather funding are other items the board will have to cut.

How the deficit appeared:

One of the biggest reasons for the school system’s deficit is a $7.8 million drop in Georgia state funding for quality-based education. But Watts said it’s far from the only reason.

“It’s the legislative changes, it’s the declining enrollment, it’s the increased expenses that we are seeing like every taxpayer is seeing,” Watts said.

Despite not knowing how much money they have to spend, on June 30 the school board needs to pass a budget, and members are apprehensive.

“It’s hard to vote on this kind of stuff when we don’t see the entirety of the other spending,” said Stephanie Campbell, District Seven board member.

“But again, without the tax digest it’s very difficult to estimate what that change will be,” Watts said.

The two options for the school board are to either work on a month-to-month budget until they receive their tax digest, or they can pass their tentative budget, but that could be inaccurate depending on the digest.