The Savannah‑Chatham County Public School System Audit Committee on Dec. 11 accepted an audit of the district’s wellness center and directed staff to develop clearer metrics and a dedicated budget for the program.

The audit, presented by the district auditor, found the center provides counseling, staffing consultations and serious threat assessments but “operates without [a] defined strategic framework” tied to a specific budget or measurable outcomes. The auditor reported “over 1,600 hours of direct services” provided to students in the previous school year and estimated the center’s on‑site supervision and professional development for counselors could be worth tens of thousands of dollars if bought on the open market.

District staff acknowledged the findings and described steps to increase utilization and measurement. Talisha Odom Zaledeli, the wellness coordinator, said the district will expand services into schools, use telehealth through Hazel Health to reduce transportation barriers and streamline referral processes to improve access. Kim McGuire, executive director of student support services, explained that current student referrals generally come from school staff and that the district has explored ways for families to refer students directly while preserving school involvement and parental consent requirements.

A district leader noted the department maintains internal metrics and an incidental budget; Speaker 9 said the center has four staff and about $15,000 in annual incidental funds and that the district already tracks 42 key performance indicators districtwide. Speaker 9 added, “If 1 child’s life in this district was impacted in a positive way because they had access to counseling services, it’s effective,” while also acknowledging the absence of metrics limits quantification of that impact.

Committee members pressed for clearer accounting. One member cited that most student use is tied to serious threat assessments rather than voluntary counseling and requested a breakdown of salary and non‑salary costs; district staff offered to provide non‑salary expense detail (estimated $10,000–$15,000 annually). The auditor recommended establishing measurable outcomes aligned to the district strategic plan and creating an annual budget specifically for the wellness center.

Speaker 5 moved to accept the audit for submission to the Board of Education; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The committee’s approval forwards the audit and its recommendations to the full board for further consideration.