Savannah Chamber

53 Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce 2023 Economic Trends 21 Infrastructure: Education The seven-county CSA* employed approximately 16,411 faculty, administrators, and staff in public and private educational services in 2021-2022. Public High Schools in the CSA produced 5,473 graduates. Of the metro area's population above age 25, approximately 91% are high school graduates or have higher education. Approximately 32.4% of the population above the age of 25 has a bachelor's degree or higher level of educational attainment. (*See page 10 for definition of CSA.) Pre-K-12 Public Education The District's SY-21/22 enrollment is 36,007 students, a slight decrease from SY 20/21, which was 36,461 students. There are 56 schools across the public-school system including 23 elementary schools, 8 K-8 schools, 8 middle schools, 11 high schools, and a virtual academy for students in grades 3–11. The district also supports 5 charter schools and 8 other educational centers. The School District continues to improve educational offerings through facility improvements under the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales tax. Recent projects include a new Jenkins High School, two new District stadiums at Islands High School and the School of Liberal Studies at Savannah High, a new auditorium at Beach High School and a K-12 Multi-School Campus on the site of the former Groves High School. The New Hampstead K-8 school in western Chatham County opens in January 2022. Two schools have achieved the acclaimed National Blue Ribbon School status for academics: Garrison School for the Arts and Jacob G. Smith Elementary. Two schools, Gadsden Elementary and Godley Station K8, have been named National Green Ribbon Schools for environmental sustainability efforts. The District's STEM Academy at Bartlett has been named the top STEM Middle School Program in the nation. Virginia L. Heard Elementary Academy is the only State of Georgia STEM certified elementary school in the District. SCCPSS has also steadily improved the graduation rate to outperform the state average for the past 5 years. The current graduation rate stands at 87.6% (SY 21-22), exceeding the state graduation rate for the eighth consecutive year. For more information, please visit sccpss.com. Higher Education: Colleges, Universities and Technical Schools Over 74,000 students are enrolled in the 17 institutions of higher learning in and around the Savannah area. While several of these schools consistently produce graduates who contribute to the region, others are recent newcomers attracted to the demands for advanced learning created by Savannah's vibrant and growing economy. Georgia Southern University (GSU): Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers approximately 140 degree programs serving nearly 26,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Savannah, Statesboro, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and relevant, career-focused, hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. www.georgiasouthern.edu Coastal Georgia Center: Operated by Savannah State University, the Coastal Georgia Center offers a convenient location in historic downtown Savannah with a professional environment for students enrolled in graduate- level courses in business, public administration and social work. The center is an outreach component of the University System of Georgia, promoting economic development and provides accommodation for meetings, seminars and regional conferences. www.savannahstate.edu/cgc/ Georgia Tech Savannah: The Savannah campus of Georgia Tech provides professional education to the Southeastern part of Georgia working in partnership with industry and K-12 outreach. It also is the home to many parts of Georgia Tech which include the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC), the Enterprise Innovation Institute, the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP), the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC). The Savannah Campus also has an applied research component to its mission working with industry to help solve problems in Supply Chain, Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace and Resiliency just to name a few areas. The GT Savannah Campus works with local, regional and national/international business and citizens for impact in the region. savannah.gatech.edu SCAD: The University for Creative Careers: The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university conferring bachelor's and master's degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers more than 100 degree programs in more than 75 disciplines across its locations in Savannah

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