“We’ve got to keep public education alive in this country,” Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education member Cornelia Hall said during the board’s Oath of Office ceremony. “Knowledge is power, education is freedom,” she added along with stating that public education systems are being “assaulted from the top down.”
Hall was sworn in as the District 3 representative alongside fellow board members, Denise Grabowski (District 1), Dionne Hoskins-Brown (District 2) and Stephanie Campbell (District 7) by Chatham County Superior Court Judge Tammy Stokes Friday morning at the Eli Whitney Administrative Complex, 2 Laura Ave.
With three of the four members returning to their seats, they all will hold office leading up to the district’s largest five-year Educational Special Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) extension proposal ($705 million) to the public via a March 18 referendum vote. They will also serve as the district continues to manage its largest-ever budget ($884 million for fiscal year 2025) amidst ongoing demographic changes and exponential growth in western Chatham County.
A new member joins ‘the team of 10’
Campbell was the only new board member sworn in on Friday following the May 2024 general elections.
Grabowski had narrowly fended off a challenge from retired Savannah-Chatham educator and Georgia Southern professor Barbara Hubbard. With a 2.04% margin of victory, Grabowski held onto her seat for a second term. At Friday’s ceremony she became emotional as she thanked God for instilling the skills necessary to serve and her family for their support of her in the role. She then shared appreciation for the unique perspectives of her board colleagues “who work together even if we don’t always agree.”
Conversely to Grabowski’s election performance, Hall had a strong showing in May’s District 3 race with over 65% of votes in favor of her retaining the seat. She faced a challenge from an alum of Savannah-Chatham’s public schools and higher education professional Tanet Taharka Myers who also experienced Savannah’s school system as a parent.
Once sworn in, Hall said that as she reflects on her three previous terms she is “grateful and honored that the istrict 3 constituents, my family and all of my friends, entrusted me with this great work.”
Campbell had won a three-way District 7 race over incumbent Michael Johnson. His votes combined with those of challenger Jay Jones would still not have overcome Campbell’s 1,686 votes, which was 52.31% of the turnout. Campbell, who attended Savannah Christian Preparatory School as do her children, started by thanking her family for their unwavering support and God for the “ability to put myself out there and jump in.” She also thanked board members who gave their time over the past few months to help her “understand the ropes.”
Hoskins-Brown was the only candidate last May to run unopposed. She did so for the third time and has served over 13 years as the District 2 representative. Friday morning, she said the fact that she had run unopposed does not mean she takes the role for granted. She noted that the District 2 chair has held “two mayors and a state representative” in the 10 years preceding her term, which has “set a bar to meet and a charge to keep.” She, too, thanked her family and became emotional briefly at the mention of her husband’s daily efforts to “make sure that I have a great day.”
She also welcomed Campbell to the board after praising fellow board members for their “commitment to the concept of the team of 10,” which refers to the nine school board members plus the superintendent.
School board members receive pay for serving in their roles. Last year, according to OpenGA.Gov, district 1-9 representatives earned $25,000 while Board President Roger Moss earned $34,999.
Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@gannett.com and @jschwartstory84 on X.com.