Chatham County 2024-25 school choice starts now: SCCPSS pre-k, K-5 and K-8 options

Editor's note: This article was updated to clarify that the Little Acorn Academy Application is separate from the Pre-K Application for Savannah-Chatham public schools. The application timelines for both are the same, however.

As K-12 students settle into their routines for the second half the school year, thinking ahead about options for the 2024-2025 school year might seem premature. However, timelines to secure spots in Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools' 26 different Choice Programs or to apply for admission to public charter and private schools get underway this week, while some already have begun.

School choices evolve each year as new programs are added or expanded and new schools come online. Families should be aware that SCCPSS has traditional elementary school options that consist of kindergarten through fifth grade levels. The district also has eight middle schools that are strictly sixth through eighth grades. SCCPSS also has eight K-8 schools with Casimir Pulaski Elementary School in the process of being converted to a K-8 school. The multi-school complex formerly referred to as the Groves-Mercer-Gould complex was initially built as a K-12 site, but recent changes to the SCCPSS approved Long-Range Facilities Plan Phase 1 have shifted the site a 6-12 complex.

To help families make sense of the bounty of information, the Savannah Morning News (SMN) launches a four-part series this week assessing schooling options in the Savannah-Chatham County area. First up will be a look at the SCCPSS Choice Program options for pre-K, elementary and K-8 schools. Families can review the full list of SCCPSS schools at sccpss.com/schools/Pages/default.aspx.

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SCCPSS Little Acorn Academy and Pre-K Program

SCCPSS's Little Acorn Academy and Pre-K Program offer learning options for families with 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. The two Little Acorn Academy sites are located at Carrie E. Gould Elementary School, 4910 Pineland Drive, and the Early Learning Center at Henderson E. Formey, Jr. School 400 E. Broad St.

The district’s website states, “Families residing in the Gould attendance zone will have priority at that location, those residing in the Shuman Elementary, Williams Elementary, and Formey Early Learning Center attendance zones will have priority for admission at Formey.”

In order to apply, children must be 3 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2024, and must be potty-trained.

Parents of children who are 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2024 must enroll in the Pre-Kindergarten Choice Program to have access to SCCPSS pre-K services. Students must also reside in Chatham County. SCCPSS offers 65 Georgia Lottery Funded pre-K classes. Each is limited to only 20 students.

The district's website states, “Our program provides a full day (6.5 hours) of appropriate instructional services utilizing the Creative Curriculum to students for the regular school calendar year. The purpose of the Pre-K Program is school readiness and transition to kindergarten for success in later school years.”

The Little Acorn Academy will use the same application as the Choice Programs (choice.sccpss.com), but the Pre-K will have a separate application on pk.sccpss.com. Both applications timelines will run during the same timeframe from Jan. 27 through Feb. 9, 2024.

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SCCPSS Neighborhood Schools

Every registered K-12 student in Chatham County is eligible to attend their neighborhood schools, for which they are zoned based on where they live. Some neighborhood schools are also Choice Schools but give priority to students who live within the designated attendance zone. SCCPSS has a school zone finder tool so families can determine which elementary, middle and high schools they are assigned to. Students who live more than 1.5 miles from their zoned school are provided transportation. If students live within 1.5 miles of their zoned school, they are not provided transportation and must secure a ride or walk to school.

Families should review SCCPS registration requirements.

SCCPSS Choice Program options

According to the SCCPSS website, Choice Program Schools “provide our students with a diverse portfolio of educational options.” Families are encouraged to review SCCPSS’s 2024-25 School Choice Program Information Guide and the 2024-25 Choice Program Open House Schedule.

Students who wish to attend Choice Schools for the 2024-25 school year must complete the Choice Program application between Jan. 27 and Feb. 9, 2024. The district will also hold its annual Student Success Expo and STEM Festival 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Jan. 27 at the Savannah Civic Center.

For a sense of the total available seats at choice schools, families can review the district's 2023–2024 Choice Program Information & Updates presentation from the Nov. 1, 2023 school board meeting.

Choice Elementary and K-8 Schools

SMN collected data from multiple sources to prepare this article. Enrollment data provided for schools comes from the district's latest enrollment report that was supplied to SMN on Jan. 17, 2024.

GADOE does not calculate schoolwide averages for elementary or middle schools on its GMAS reports for Reading Status, English Language Arts or Math. SMN calculated Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS) schoolwide score averages included in this article based on the grade levels served at each choice school using the numbers provided in the GADOE GMAS 2022-23 Statewide Scores reports.

Elementary (K-5) Choice Schools

Andrea B. Williams Elementary School, ​1150 Wheaton St., Savannah ​

While not a certified STEAM school, the School Choice program guide states that the school “fosters critical thinkers and problem solvers by maximizing their potential through the implementation of STEAM principles.”

SCCPSS announced in early January that A.B. Williams recently exited the Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI) Schools list. This past year, the school achieved an improvement in 2022-2023 GMAS Reading Status by increasing scores by 12.16 percentage points.

Principal: Tony Foy

Approximate Enrollment: 440

GMAS schoolwide performance 3^rd – 5^th grades

• Reading status – 41.27 % grade level or above

• English Language Arts – 39.35 % developing learners or above

• Math – 50.73 % developing learners or above

*Families should note that the district’s Phase 2 of the Long-Range Facilities Plan will eventually shift A.B. Williams to a 3^rd through 5^th grade school. Choice options might still be available for those grades, but families should review SCCPSS resources each year for any potential changes.

Virginia Heard Elementary, ​414 Lee Blvd., Savannah ​

Heard is a Georgia certified STEAM elementary school. The program guide highlights that, “a state of the art STEAM Lab, Technology Lab, and MakerSpace provide hands-on experimentation and investigation, and enhance classroom science and engineering instruction.” The school also offers visual and performing arts that, “are intertwined with weekly Fine Arts classes and daily classroom instruction.”

Principal (interim): Christa Smalls

Approximate Enrollment: 662

GMAS schoolwide performance 3^rd – 5^th grades

• Reading Status – 69.30 % grade level or above

• English Language Arts – 74.79 % developing learners or above

• Math – 77.06 % developing learners or above

Sarah Mills Hodge Elementary School - Medical and Allied Health Program, 975 Clinch St., Savannah

The program guide says that this, “choice program works to create well-rounded individuals who are knowledgeable about the human body, total body wellness, and the impact of the medical field in the lives of citizens all over the world.”

Principal (interim): Samanthia Williams

Approximate Enrollment: 381

GMAS schoolwide performance 3^rd – 5^th grades

• Reading Status – 66.28 % grade level or above

• English Language Arts – 71.15 % developing learners or above

• Math –  68.55 % developing learners or above

Jacob G. Smith Elementary, ​210 Lamara Drive, Savannah

The school’s blurb in the program guide states, “We strive to offer a teacher-directed, traditional, back-to-basics approach to teaching and learning. Our curriculum is designed to implement the Georgia Standards of Excellence and promote equity in education by building a base of knowledge for all students in the early years of school.”

Principal: Channil Scott

Approximate Enrollment: 461

GMAS schoolwide performance 3^rd – 5^th grades

• Reading Status – 84.51 % grade level or above

• English Language Arts – 87.09 % developing learners or above

• Math – 87.74 % developing learners or above

Marshpoint Elementary, ​135 Whitemarsh Island Road, Savannah ​

The program guide notes how the school, “integrates STEM/STEAM programs to offer a challenging framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world.”

Principal: Susan Ambrose

Approximate Enrollment: 625

GMAS schoolwide performance 3^rd – 5^th grades

• Reading Status – 71.70 % grade level or above

• English Language Arts – 72.53 % developing learners or above

• Math –  87.12 % developing learners or above

K-8 Choice Schools

Charles Ellis Montessori Academy, ​220 East 49th St., Savannah

The school is an affiliated school with the American Montessori Society, www.amshq.org. The district’s program guide states that, “this program encourages critical thinking, exploration and self-directed learning. Students enrolled in this program are also exposed to individualized work plans.”

*SCCPSS notes that prior Montessori experience is preferred for students entering 4^th to 8^th Grade and documentation of prior Montessori Experience will be reviewed prior to admission.

Principal: Tanya Melville

Approximate Enrollment: 426

GMAS schoolwide performance 3^rd – 8^th grades

• Reading Status – 66.28 % grade level or above

• English Language Arts – 71.15 % developing learners or above

• Math –  68.55 % developing learners or above

Esther F. Garrison School for the Arts, ​649 West Jones St., Savannah ​

SCCPSS states that this visual and performing arts program “provides experiences to motivate students to excel in the academics as well as the arts.”

*All students applying for grades 6-8 must audition, which will be ranked using a score of 1-100. Audition scores factor into to each student’s lottery application. SCCPSS’s program guide states, “Students applying will be seated according to their audition ranking, based on the number of seats available in each performing arts area.” Sibling preference DOES NOT apply to middle school students submitting applications for grades 6-8.

Families are advised to check-in at Garrison’s website for the release of the 2024-25 school year audition guide.

Principal: Aysha Parks

Approximate Enrollment: 767

GMAS schoolwide performance 3^rd – 8^th grades

• Reading Status – 82.57 % grade level or above

• English Language Arts – 87.30 % developing learners or above

• Math –  87.49 % developing learners or above

Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah-Chatham public schools choice lottery opens on Jan. 27