FOIA Request to Savannah State University regarding public university FY 2024 employee salaries on December 5, 2025.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Savannah State University by Peach Tree Times, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request seeks detailed records of employee compensation for all individuals employed by the university during Fiscal Year 2024. This request was made under the Georgia Open Records Act § 50.18.70 et seq., with a preference for receiving the information in electronic format.
The records requested include comprehensive data fields such as fiscal year, employee name, gender, age or year of birth, date of birth, employer name, title or position, department, hire date, compensation amount (including base pay and any additional pay), compensation type (e.g., salary, hourly wage), and employment type (full-time or part-time). The Peach Tree Times has acknowledged that not all fields may be present in every record but has requested the production of all responsive records regardless of completeness. In cases where portions of a record are exempt from disclosure, they have asked for non-exempt portions to be released in redacted form.
As a media organization dedicated to transparency and accountability in public institutions, Peach Tree Times has also requested a fee waiver based on their role in gathering and disseminating news to the public. The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, which assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating government agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws.
We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.
