Savannah/Chatham County Public Schools board members were in a somewhat celebratory mood March 4.
They unanimously approved a reorganization plan that will affect all grade levels from kindergarten through high school. "I think it's an exciting day," board member Darrell Sapp said.

The final plan that was approved was somewhat different from the one originally presented by Superintendent Thomas Lockamy a few weeks ago. More neighborhood schools are now planned, and a career and technical component will be added at Hubert for middle school students.

"We've really tried to listen to everyone," Lockamy said. "We know everyone will not be completely 100 percent happy with what we're proposing, but we truly believe the plan will address the needs of all students.

"It offers the opportunity to reduce class size," he said. "It also provides added resources and at the same time it is the first time we're really addressing the needs of all learners.

"We've always focused on the children with learning challenges and assumed the (advanced learners) are okay," Lockamy said. "We have an obligation to provide services to every child. I'm convinced that with full implementation of this plan, this district will look considerably different than what it currently looks."

Elements of the plan will be phased in over the next three years. All schools will continue to offer the programs and curriculum being offered now, but there will extra programs and classes designed to appeal to parents -- including those currently sending their children to private schools.

At the elementary level, some schools will become neighborhood schools to help ease busing of students. "When I talk about neighborhood schools, it means getting our children as close to home as possible to reduce time on buses," chief academic officer Jacqueline Chavis said. "Some kids start as early as 6:30 a.m."

Some schools will serve kindergarten through eighth grade, and some sixth through eighth grade. Core knowledge programs will be added at Garrison, East Broad and Spencer elementary, and board members said they hoped to see core knowledge programs eventually added to all elementary schools in the district. School officials also want to reduce class size at some schools and put the district's best teachers where they're needed most.

The original plan was criticized because it focused too heavily on high-end academic programs. However, Chavis says some programs that will be offered now are aimed at average students and are designed to encourage them to take more advanced classes.

"We believe expanding the middle school and adding a career and technical component will help reduce drop-outs," Chavis said. "As for fiscal responsibility, we want to make sure we fully utilize our facilities.

"Once this plan is implemented, we believe it will improve safety and provide a secure environment," she said. "We are engaging parents and other community stakeholders. We want to increase business partnerships."

There are so many changes and so many terms, parents might find it all hard to digest at first. "Open enrollment means a school will be open to children who are zoned for that particular school, but it will give an opportunity for kids in other schools in the district to apply," Chavis said. "In a dedicated school, in order to attend, there is an application process that must be followed."

Some parents are concerned about children being moved from their present schools. "We've really tried to build on what is currently in place," Chavis said. "We've looked at what's working and working well. Our goal is to only move children once."

Board members pointed out that the plan is not meant to be written in stone, but rather is meant to be flexible as the need arises. "I hope we will remain open to what works," said board member Susan Cox, who has reservations of her own about putting sixth through twelfth grades at Bartlett.

"The superintendent is very willing to make changes as we're going down the road and find we're not following the best path for students," Cox said. "This district has focused for years on students with challenges and we have millions of dollars in Title One funding and local money. In no way in the past or future are we going to ignore kids who are slow learners.

"This is a great start, I just hope we are flexible with implementation," she said. "Our real impetus was Savannah High. This is a huge undertaking and I'm sure the community hasn't fully digested it all, but it's going to be an exciting time."

Board member Julie Gerbsch, who had been opposed to the plan, said she was pleased with the recent changes and additions. "I see more things aimed toward those populations that are at risk of graduating," she said. "If some are going to choose to drop out by 16, we've got to give them some career and technical skills if we're going to do anything about poverty."

Even board member Floyd Adams, who was very critical of the earlier plan, came on board. Adams could not attend the meeting because of illness, but sent a letter of support that was read at the meeting. "While we may not have received all the goals we desired to obtain, compromise proved to be the winner," he said.

But Gerbsch said she's worried about how the plan will be implemented. "I'm not seeing enough money in there for training and development," she said. "It is so key that our staff and teachers get the training they're going to need to get the results we have established in this plan. Otherwise, it's just window dressing and nothing really changes in terms of results."

School board president Joe Buck had reservations about community support. "I'm struck by the fact that increasingly the schools have been asked to become parents," he said. "We can only get them in pre-kindergarten when we really need to have them by the time they come out of the womb.

"By the time some of them come to us, they're almost an overwhelming challenge to the schools and teachers," Buck said. "I support fully what we're doing. But we must have increasing support from the community to make sure from time children are born, they're getting the mental stimulation that they need to succeed."

Sapp urged parents to get involved in the upcoming changes. "Studies clearly show when you get parents involved, students do better," he said.

"I think this plan is fair and equitable, and it's spread out all among the community," Sapp said. "I can't see anyone opposed to it. Our role as a board is to establish the policy we want the school district to take. "

However, there was opposition to the plan, and it was loud and vocal. A contingent of parents and community leaders called on the board to delay the vote to give parents more time to obtain information about the changes.

Parent Jeannine Frazier was the most passionate. "A lot of kids fall through the cracks," she said. "You say ‘all means all,' but your actions say otherwise."

Frazier said only a small percentage of parents she's talked to approve of the plan. "It should be when you say which school you'll send your children in Chatham County, you could be happy about it," she said. "I actually lose sleep at night worrying about my children and their schools."

A registered nurse, Frazier said her daughter attends Savannah arts academy and her son Largo-Tibet. "I get tired when people say parents don't care," she said. "That's not true. If children don't get an education, they're fuel for the criminal justice system."

The Rev. Samuel Williams called on the board to hire more African-American, male principals to provide role models to children. "The school system is 72 percent African-American, he said. "We want teachers who know how to teach in the inner city."

Parent Tyrone Ware asked the board to look at "positives and negatives, gains and losses."

Ware said he believes if the board would take time to educate the public about the plan, most would accept it and asked to table the vote. "I'd hate to embark on this journey, get in the middle of the ocean and realize there are no life rafts," he said.

Board member Irene Hines asked her fellow board members to consider delaying the vote, but received no support. When the board approved the plan, many in the standing-room-only audience in the board room walked out in protest.

The organization plan wasn't the only hot-button issue of the day. In other action, the board voted 7-1 to formally oppose Senate Bill 90, a voucher bill proposed by State Sen. Eric Johnson of Savannah that would provide matching funds for parents who want to send their children to private schools.

Board member Lori Brady, the board's legislative liaison, is vehemently opposed to vouchers. She noted that the school district receives less than $3,800 per child in state funding, yet under the bill, parents who use vouchers to send children to private schools would receive more than $5,000 per child. "That's not competition," she said. "That's giving them a leg up."

"As a superintendent of schools, I have to take a strong position opposing vouchers," Lockamy said. "I support all means all. Children in poverty don't have the additional dollars to take advantage of vouchers.

"I know from my family as a child, (a voucher) could have given me $7,000, but my family could not have matched the dollars," he said. "Also, there is absolutely no accountability.

"I'm in a fishbowl every day, held accountable for everything that goes on in the district," Lockamy said. "I want those headmasters to be just as accountable. If people use vouchers, they're stealing money from the public school district."

Alfreda Goldwire, president of the Savannah Federation of Teachers, called on the board to oppose the voucher bill to prevent millions of dollars being given to private schools, "leaving the already underfunded public schools in dire straits."

"Vouchers have proved to be a failure in other states," Goldwire said. "Research shows achievement of students using vouchers is no better than that of comparable public schools.

"Senate Bill 90 would create a publicly funded private school system that is accountable to no one," she said. "This is the most cynical twist of all - the truth is that private schools get to make the final decisions. They get to choose which students they will accept or decline. Public schools must educate all students and it's there we should be making a smart investment."

The board received a loud round of applause when the measure to oppose vouchers was approved.