Twelve students attending high schools in East Cobb have been named to the 2026-27 class of Cobb Youth Leadership, “a development program sponsored by the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta that focuses on developing leadership skills through interactive participation,” according to a release from the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.
CYL was created by the Chamber in 1989 and the selected students are high school juniors who began the application process as sophomores. Around 60 students are chosen each year, and here’s what they do during the school year:
“Through six evening programs during the course of the school year participants in the CYL program are introduced to local, state, and national leaders. They also receive information on the responsibility, ethics, and tools for effective leadership, as well as potential career paths for after graduation.”
The following CYL class members are from East Cobb:
Johnson Ferry Christian Academy: Brooks Baughman
Lassiter High School: Niyamat Kaur, Grace Qian
Pope High School: Callie Cochran, Maret Dickerson
Sprayberry High School: Alex Duke
Walton High School: Ryan Ghiai, Colton Green, Zach Pila
Cobb Youth Leadership also is sponsored by Kennesaw State University, Maranie Brown and Family, Marietta Wrecker, and Six Flags Over Georgia.
For more information about Cobb Youth Leadership, contact Katie Guice at (770) 859-2334 or [email protected].
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Micheal Garza said his campaign donors are mostly local, reflecting “an indication of strong grassroots support from teachers, community members, and parents of students in our schools.”
With partisan control of the Cobb Board of Education at stake in the November elections, leaders of the Republican Party that holds on to a slim majority are taking aim at the candidate who’s vowing to change all that.
Democrat Michael Garza is challenging three-term Republican incumbent David Chastain in the Post 4 race in Northeast Cobb, which includes the Kell, Lassiter and Sprayberry attendance zones.
The GOP holds a 4-3 majority on the school board in Cobb, which once was heavily Republican. But Democrats control the Cobb Board of Commissioners and the Cobb legislative delegation and occupy all countywide offices.
The Post 4 race is the only contested campaign for the Cobb school board in the general election, as Smyrna-area Democratic incumbents Becky Sayler and Nichelle Davis have no Republican opponents.
On Monday, the current and several former Cobb Republican Party chairs, as well as state GOP leaders, issued a press release demanding that Garza return several thousand dollars in campaign contributions from his biggest individual donor.
That donor is Michael Tafelski, an East Cobb resident who is a supervising attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, who’s contributed $6,000 to Garza’s campaign.
The SPLC, which has filed several suits against the Cobb County School District on a variety of matters, recently was indicted by a federal grand jury for wire fraud and other charges.
The SPLC is alleged to have donated more than $3 million to informants within violent and extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations, while raising money to to dismantle them. A former SPLC employee has been arrested in connection with allegations in the indictment.
In Monday’s release (you can read it here) the Georgia and Cobb GOP leaders said that “Cobb County voters deserve to know whether [Garza] supports the Southern Poverty Law Center’s agenda or whether he will return the money and publicly distance himself from the conduct alleged in the federal indictment.”
Among the signatories is Georgia Republican Party chairman Josh McKoon, Cobb Republican Party chairwoman Mary Clarice Hathaway and her predecessors, including Salleigh Grubbs, Jason Shepherd, Scott Johnson and Rose Wing.
Post 4 Republican incumbent David Chastain said that “we must not start chasing the newest unproven instructional fads.”
Garza told East Cobb News Tuesday he has no intention of returning Tafelski’s donations and stressed the local nature of what he calls his “grassroots” campaign.
“Mr. Tafelski is a parent of a child in Cobb County schools and a well respected volunteer within the community,” Garza said.
“He’s not been accused of a crime, and his employer has no bearing on the donation he made in a personal capacity. It does not disqualify him from being able to have a say in the direction of his child’s educational experience.”
East Cobb News also has left a message with Tafelski seeking comment.
Garza, who’s active in the Keheley Elementary School PTA and the East Cobb County Council of PTAs, said his campaign has received 283 individual donations, and only one from an organization. That’s a $2,000 check from the political action committee of the Cobb County Association of Educators.
According to a financial disclosure report filed last week (you can read it here) Garza has raised $42,000 and has $16,000 cash on hand.
Garza said it was telling that the GOP letter is “another in a series of outside political distractions being brought into our county that have nothing to do with our public schools.
“Our families can’t afford to have leaders who care more about retaining power for a political party than they care about actually serving the students in our community.”
Chastain, the current Cobb school board vice chairman, was not among those signatories.
Late last month, he sent out a campaign newsletter entitled “Cobb County Schools—Town Hall Newsletter” and said that “I will continue my pledge to always protect parents’ right to guide their own children.”
The parental rights’ issue has been cited repeatedly by Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale—whose most vocal critics include Garza—on such issues as removal of school books deemed inappropriate for minors.
Without being specific, Chastain also said in the newsletter that “we must not start chasing the newest unproven instructional fads.”
Last week, a video message called for the need to “stay away from distractions and keep other things from the outside from affecting how we manage our children and support our teachers.”
According to Chastain’s financial disclosure statement (you can read it here) he has raised $29,000 with $17,000 cash on hand.
He’s having a fundraiser next week on Monday at the Governor’s Gun Club in Kennesaw with U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller.
Cobb Democrats are having a “special meeting” Saturday morning called “Cobb School Board and You” at Bridge Pointe Church in Marietta.
On Saturday afternoon, Garza will be involved in a “Flip the Cobb School Board” canvassing session from 1-4 p.m. at Noonday Park.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
“This year, National PTA honored 321 local PTAs and schools as 2025-2027 National PTA Schools of Excellence for building partnerships between families and their schools that enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of all students,” the ECCC PTA message stated.
Lindse Parsons, co-president of the Mountain View PTA, told East Cobb News that “I just felt it shines a great light on our East Cobb area and the level of volunteering and engagement in our schools!”
More detailed information and criteria about the National PTA School of Excellence program can be found by clicking here.
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The 2026 Georgia Milestones test results were released this week, minus some important categories of metrics.
The Georgia Department of Education has been revising its standards for Reading and English Language Arts, and is delaying release of those test scores until November.
At the middle and high school levels, East Cobb News has been breaking down 8th grade English Language Arts and the four subject-area high school tests.
For the Georgia Milestones assessments, students are tested in grades 3-8 in English Language Arts, reading and math, in grades 5-8 in those subjects plus science, and all those subjects plus social studies in grade 8.
Those are formally called End of Grade Assessments.
High school students are tested in American Literature, algebra, biology and U.S. history under what’s called the End of Course Assessments.
A total of 20 different assessments are measured at the end of each semester, as well as the end of the school year.
Students are categorized in one of four levels, based on those test scores: Level 1 is Beginning Learner, Level 2 is a Developing Learner, Level 3 is a Proficient Learner and Level 4 is Distinguished Learner.
Here’s the link to the Georgia Milestones dashboard, but a warning: There is a massive amount of information and instructions on how to use it.
Broader state education data, including district- and school-level test results, can be found at this link.
The 8th grade math scores at elementary schools in East Cobb (see the table at the bottom of this post) show a variety of differences from 2025.
What the tables below do not show—again because of state delays—are 8th grade English Language Arts and high school American literature and composition. That testing data will be available in November, according to the Georgia Department of Education.
Schools in East Cobb reported some of the highest figures in the Cobb County School District.
According to a Cobb school district release, 82 percent of all students tested at 82 percent in proficiency levels and above, the highest for a large district in metro Atlanta.
At Lassiter that figure was 94 percent, and at Pope and Walton, those figures were at 90 percent.
At Simpson Middle School, 98.7 of the students taking the Milestones tests were deemed proficient learners and above in social studies, while that metric was 97.9 percent at Dodgen and 97.5 at Hightower Trail.
The downloadable school-level spring 2026 End of Course spreadsheets contain all results by high school name, grade and subject.
The spring 2026 End of Grade spreadsheets include elementary and middle school results by individual school name, grade and subject as well.
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More than 90 percent of 5th graders at Sope Creek ES are proficient or better in math, the best figure in the Cobb County School District.
The 2026 Georgia Milestones test results were released this week, minus some important categories of metrics.
The Georgia Department of Education has been revising its standards for Reading and English Language Arts, and is delaying release of those test scores until November.
At the elementary school level, East Cobb News has been breaking down 3rd grade reading and 5th grade math in the years since COVID-19 disruptions, and this report will focus on the latter.
For the Georgia Milestones assessments, students are tested in grades 3-8 in English Language Arts, reading and math, in grades 5-8 in those subjects plus science, and all those subjects plus social studies in grade 8.
Those are formally called End of Grade Assessments.
High school students are tested in American Literature, algebra, biology and U.S. history under what’s called the End of Course Assessments.
A total of 20 different assessments are measured at the end of each semester, as well as the end of the school year.
Students are categorized in one of four levels, based on those test scores: Level 1 is Beginning Learner, Level 2 is a Developing Learner, Level 3 is a Proficient Learner and Level 4 is Distinguished Learner.
Here’s the link to the Georgia Milestones dashboard, but a warning: There is a massive amount of information and instructions on how to use it.
Broader state education data, including district- and school-level test results, can be found at this link.
The 5th grade math scores at elementary schools in East Cobb (see the table at the bottom of this post) show a variety of differences from 2025 (you can see that graphic at this link).
At Sope Creek Elementary School, 90 percent of the 181 5th graders taking the Milestones are considered proficient or above. That’s the highest number in the Cobb County School District, and 10 percentage points higher at Sope Creek than in 2025.
Students at seven elementary schools in East Cobb have distinguished learning rates in 5th grade math at 40 percent or above, and Sope Creek, Timber Ridge, Tritt and Mt. Bethel have more than 50 percent testing at that level or above.
The Cobb school district reports that nearly 60 percent of more than 7,600 students testing for 5th grade math were at profiency level or above, and 22.8 percent are distinguished learners.
Those benchmarks are higher than the statewide averages of 44.1 percent and 16.9, respectively.
The downloadable school-level spring 2026 End of Grade spreadsheets contain all results by school name, grade and subject.
On that spreadsheet, you search through grades 3-8 math scores in individual assessment categories. As we noted at the top, the Reading and English Language Arts results will be released in November.
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Walton HS is among the top public high schools in Georgia, according to 2026 Niche rankings.
Several schools at all grade levels in East Cobb have been listed as some of the best in Georgia, according to a prominent education ranking service.
The Niche.com 2026 Best Schools in Georgia update came out on July 31, and Walton and Lassiter are among the Top 25 in the high school rankings.
Walton is at No. 9 and Lassiter is at No. 24, according to the Niche Georgia public high school rankings, which are compiled with a variety of data from the U.S. Department of Education, students reviews and other indicators.
According to the Niche website, its rankings also include factors relating to culture and diversity, teacher quality, clubs and activities, resources and facilities and sports.
As for the Cobb County School District overall, the Niche rankings have assigned an “A” score, with A or A- scores in most categories.
That comes to No. 15 among public school districts in the state, and tops among the larger districts. Gwinnett is No. 18, Fulton County No. 19 and Marietta City Schools are No. 24.
To look at a map of Cobb County schools and to view individual school profiles, click here.
You can also go to the Niche.com main page and search for any school or school district for customized information.
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“More than backpacks were handed. Families found encouragement. Children found joy. Neighbors became community,” Together with Families’ Sarah Donegan said.
“With backpacks, school supplies, free health screenings, driver’s education, bike giveaways, food, games and dozens of volunteers, the event helped families start the school year feeling supported and connected.
“Thank you to every sponsor, volunteer, partner and donor who made the day possible. When a community shows up for families, everyone is stronger.”
The backpacks included school supplies and families enjoyed food and refreshments, music, games and a community celebration.
Click the middle button below to view more photos.
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The Cobb County School District accused Cobb County Government of a “money grab” over tax collection fees.
Cobb County Government said Monday that a mediation meeting last week with the Cobb County School District to resolve a lawsuit over tax collection fees came to an impasse.
In an unsigned statement, the county said that after the July 31 meeting, and noting that it “mediated in good faith, a resolution was not reached.”
The statement didn’t detail the reasons, and the case continues in Cobb Superior Court. The county statement added added only that “our responsibility is to protect the taxpayers of Cobb County and maintain the level of services that they have come to expect.”
On June 30, Cobb Superior Court Judge Julie Jacobs ordered the parties to appear before Judge Stephen Schuster in a mediation hearing, according to court filings.
The county was sued in Cobb Superior Court on June 15 by the Cobb school district, which alleged that the county has improperly billed the district more than $130 million in administrative fees over the last 15 years to collect school taxes that are then turned over to the school district.
The lawsuit (you can read it here) claims that the county unlawfully raised the collection fee amount from 1.6 percent to 2.5 percent of what it collects for the school district, both in property taxes and the Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Taxes (SPLOST) for education.
The school district claims a state law, Local Act 240, should prevail. That states that all education funds since 2011 should be directed to the school district without any fees.
The total the county is charging the Cobb school district for tax collections for fiscal year 2027—which began on July 1—is $20 million.
John Floresta, Chief Strategy and Accountability Officer for the Cobb school district, issued the following statement when asked for a response about the mediation meeting by East Cobb News.
“Whether it’s $13 million or $20 million, and whether it’s called a tax on top of taxes or a “fee,” taking even one dollar that taxpayers intended for students doesn’t work for our Board or our Superintendent. This week, our teachers and staff welcomed students back to school, and our focus remains where it belongs—on educating children. That same focus drives this lawsuit. Our teachers already serve students at one of the lowest per-pupil costs in the metro area, and we’re committed to protecting the taxpayer dollars intended for their classrooms. This lawsuit says enough is enough.”
Cobb government has contended that current Georgia law allows for the 2.5 percent collection fee, and “that, due to no current local legislation setting the commission rate lower, the commission rate should be 2.5 percent.”
The county’s actions, the district said in its initial release, constitute “a money-grab, from classrooms, for absolutely no reason, other than the presumed hope of ending the senior school tax exemption or forcing a tax increase on Cobb homeowners.”
On July 17, the Cobb school district filed a motion for a partial summary judgment; a mediation notice was filed on July 20 setting the July 31 date.
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A volunteer distributes school supplies and clear backpacks to Brumby ES students.
Submitted information and photos:
As Georgia families prepare for the start of a new school year, Whataburger is partnering with local organizations across Cobb County to help address two of the biggest back-to-school challenges: access to nutritious food and essential school supplies.
Helping Families Access Fresh Food
On July 21, Whataburger partnered with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to host a Mobile Food Pantry at Bumbry Elementary School in Marietta. Approximately 300–350 families received fresh groceries, school supplies, clear backpacks and other essentials, while the Whataburger Food Truck served hot meals to attendees. Whataburger Family Members also volunteered alongside Atlanta Community Food Bank staff and community partners to distribute resources ahead of the new school year.
Together, these partnerships reflect Whataburger’s ongoing commitment to supporting the communities it serves – helping meet immediate needs while giving students and families the resources to begin the school year on a strong footing.
These local efforts are part of Whataburger’s broader Feeding Student Success initiative, reflecting the brand’s commitment to helping students and families access the food and resources they need to start the school year strong.
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Scott Sweeney’s sons, Gabe and Jake Sweeney, are both Walton HS graduates.
Family members and friends of Scott Sweeney gathered Monday to remember the former member of the Cobb Board of Education whose public service embodied a man they said was defined by kindness and respect.
Sweeney, who represented a portion of East Cobb for two terms on the Cobb school board from 2011-19, died July 10 at the age of 68. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
During a memorial service Monday at Mt. Bethel Church, his sons and brother at times struggled to put into words what Sweeney meant to them.
“As much as I hate to know you’re gone, I know you’re in a better place,” said Jake Sweeney, who describes his father as having a sense of humor “that I was glad I got from him.
“You want me to stay strong and keep going but there’s a void in my heart. I wish we could have more laughs together.”
Jake Sweeney speaks at his father’s memorial service.
Gabe Sweeney, who like his brother graduated from Walton High School, said his father “made us into the sons he was proud of.”
Scott Sweeney, who was in the restaurant industry for many years, loved to cook and avidly followed sports.
A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Sweeney graduated from UCLA. He stayed in the Los Angeles area where he met his wife, Sandy.
Sweeney’s younger brother Cordell followed him to Southern Calfornia on a football scholarship and stayed there. At Monday’s service, Cordell Sweeney called his older brother “the rock of our family” who was like a father figure to him.
In the days before his death, Cordell Sweeney said he and his brother e-mailed each other often. In the last message, Scott Sweeney signed off by saying “life is too short for bad food.”
After moving to Georgia and starting a family, Scott Sweeney became a business advisor, most recently at InPrime Legal, an East Cobb firm that provides outsourced legal services to businesses.
Cordell Sweeney called his older brother “a father figure.”
He was elected twice as a Republican to Post 6 on the Cobb school board but was defeated in 2018. After that, he served on the Georgia Board of Education and in 2025, was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to serve on the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia.
Rev. Dr. Jody Ray, the senior pastor at Mt. Bethel, where Sweeney was an active member, told the Sweeney sons that “your father was a good man. He was a leader and he always did things the right way.
“Scott’s time is passed, but the question that is asked of all of us is: Are you prepared for when your time comes? Have you lived the life that you’ve been called to live? And are you ready for the next one?”
You can watch the full service and see family photos by clicking here.
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Hundreds of Cobb County students are heading into the new school year with clearer vision thanks to a highly successful Summer Break 2026 partnership between the nonprofit Vision To Learn (VTL) and the Cobb County Public Library (CCPL).
During the summer mobile clinic campaign, which runs from late May through July 31, VTL’s eye care professionals administered, so far, free eye exams to 306 students, ages 5 through 18. A significant 80 percent of those students were prescribed new glasses, which are provided entirely free of charge, with students selecting their own frames.
“Our work is far from finished as there are still thousands of students in our community struggling without the essential vision care they need,” said Tom Brooks, CCPL communications specialist and an organizer of the library VTL clinics. “Cobb County’s ‘glasses gap’ is a major, expensive barrier which impacts education, economic and workforce development, and overall community well-being.”
Uncorrected vision is a significant hurdle for millions of children across the United States. According to health reports, about 25 percent of school-age children need glasses to fully engage and succeed in the classroom.
The summer clinic results are just the latest milestone in an ongoing effort to close the vision care gap in Cobb County and the broader metro Atlanta area. Since launching in 2018, the CCPL and Vision To Learn partnership has conducted more than 3,700 exams and provided 2,575 pairs of glasses to students, including 244 this Summer Break.
These efforts are closely tied to a long-standing collaboration with Learn4Life, the Metro Atlanta Regional Education Partnership. Learn4Life spearheads the Atlanta Vision Project, an ambitious initiative with the goal that all elementary school students in need in metro Atlanta will receive a free pair of glasses by 2028. Vision To Learn is joined in this coalition by Prevent Blindness Georgia and the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation.
Locally, the push to get students the eyewear they need extends to the classroom. Marietta City Schools has partnered with Vision To Learn since the 2021-2022 school year, conducting more than 3,000 exams and delivering 2,593 pairs of glasses to Marietta students.
For more information on the regional student vision initiative, visit the Atlanta Vision Project page at L4Lmetroatlanta.org/the-atlanta-vision-project.
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Here’s our report on the Scott Sweeney memorial service; you can watch a replay at this link.
Original story:
Submitted information from InPrime Legal:
We invite our colleagues, clients, and the broader community to join us in honoring the life and remarkable legacy of our beloved Senior Business Advisor and friend, Scott Sweeney.
The Sweeney family has shared the following details for Scott’s Celebration of Life:
DATE: Monday, July 27, 2026 TIME: 11:00 a.m. EDT LOCATION: Mt. Bethel Church (4385 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, GA 30068)
A reception and visitation will be held in the Connector immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, the Sweeney family has kindly requested that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In honor of Scott and the incredible impact he had on all of us, InPrime Legal will make a donation on behalf of our entire firm.
Please continue to keep Sandy, Gabe, Jake, and the entire Sweeney family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
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At a Thursday night Cobb Board of Education meeting, Ragsdale defended the district’s decision to allow Trump and leading Georgia Republican candidates to speak inside the Wheeler gym.
Shortly after he began reading from prepared remarks, a few citizens interrupted with heckling, just as they did during a public comment period prior to that.
He said the White House decision to come to a Cobb school was “a rare and historic honor,” and while there were protestors, “the large majority of Cobb residents treated it as the honor it was.”
Ragsdale spoke briefly at the start of the Trump event, and acknowledged in his comments Thursday that while this president is “not universally liked,” other presidents have not as well.
But “like all of them, when the president of the United States chooses to honor your school district, you say yes.
“The saying, ‘Not My President’ is not an option for a school system . . . We do not control the president, the White House, the Secret Service or the content of any remarks of anyone the president asks to speak.”
At both board meetings Thursday, many speakers said that’s why there shouldn’t have been what they said amounted to a political rally to take place on a public school ground at all.
All of the other elected officials on the Wheeler stage were Republican nominees for state office—governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state.
Some questioned the district’s process for permitting the Trump event to take place, and how much local taxpayer dollars and district staff time was spent.
“We’re just seeking some transparency about the planning and the execution of the event,” said Laura Judge of East Cobb, who ran for the Post 5 school board seat as a Democrat in 2024.
“You had to know that Trump’s appearance would further divide Cobb neighbors and increase angst,” said Rose Caplan during the evening board meeting.
“Why would you host a political rally when the headlines spread vile propaganda and disrespect for women?”
Andrew Nelms gives the Cobb school board and superintendent the finger after his microphone was cut off during public comment.
A few minutes before that, the meeting was stopped for a moment when speaker Andrew Nelms began yelling at the board during his public comment.
“Why did you welcome a pedophile to one of our schools? Why did you stump for it?”
When board chairman Randy Scamihorn asked for order, Nelms shot back that “there should have been order yesterday!”
Nelms had his microphone cut off, then flipped a bird toward the dais.
Ella Ugwuandu, a 2023 Wheeler graduate, told the board that when she learned her former high school was to have a Trump event, “it felt like a gut punch.”
She said Wheeler’s strength is its diversity and having the event at Wheeler “truly rattled my trust in the district’s ability to protect and represent Cobb County students.”
But several speakers thanked Ragsdale and the board for having the event.
One of them was Leroy Emkin of Marietta, a retired Georgia Tech professor, who said it was “an honor” for Cobb schools to have “a president of the United States who chose to come here.
Chris Ragsdale meets with U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon at the Trump event at Wheeler HS.
“You have done an incredible job to keep DEI out of our schools, to keep woke out of our schools, and to teach our kids what they need to know in school.”
At the later meeting, the district presented a video from the Wheeler event, which also was interrupted, so Scamihorn ordered that it be shown again.
Ragsdale said that Trump is the third sitting president to visit a Cobb school, following Ronald Reagan in 1984 and George W. Bush in 2003. Barack Obama also held a campaign rally at McEachern High School in 2008 during his first run for the presidency.
“Anyone who opposes our district having the president needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask themselves if they are supporting students or waving their own political flag,” Ragsdale said.
You can watch all the public commenters below, thanks to the Cobb County Courier (since the Cobb school district does not air them), followed by Ragsdale’s full remarks.
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“Found My Part,” a film by Riya from Wheeler High School, “Until the Streetlights Come On,” a literature entry by Shreya from Dickerson MS and “Rina the Rainbow Dolphin” a literature entry by Amulya from Sope Creek ES have all been awarded the National PTA Award of Excellence in the 2025-2026 National PTA Reflections program.
The Award of Excellence includes a $200 Young Artist Scholarship, Silver Medal, Certificate of Excellence, and their work will be featured in the National PTA Reflections virtual exhibition.
To be awarded the National PTA Award of Excellence, the piece must be one of the 3 or 4 top-scoring entries for its division/arts category in the nation! School winners moved to the ECCC PTA round. Georgia PTA then judged the artwork by division, each of which encompass multiple grade levels, making these recognitions extremely selective. The first place winners advanced to the National PTA Reflections competition. Congratulations to Riya, Shreya and Amulya on this incredible accomplishment!
“The United Nation is Where I Belong,” a photography entry by Evan from East Side ES, “I Belong – Two Homes, One Heart,” a visual arts entry by Ayaan from Sope Creek ES and “Belonging in the Poor World,” a film by another ECCC student, were honored with the National PTA Award of Merit in the 2025-2026 National PTA Reflections program. The Merit Award includes a Bronze Medal, Certificate of Merit, and their work will be featured in the National PTA virtual exhibition.
ECCC PTA is very proud of all our students who submitted creative works and cannot wait to see submissions for the 2026-2027 theme “What My Culture Means To Me” About Reflections: The National PTA Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts which boost student confidence and success in the arts and in life. Each year, over 300,000 students in Pre-K-12 create original works of art in response to a student-created theme. This 50+ year-old program helps them explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life.
Let East Cobb News know what’s going on with your organization, or about any recognitions, to share with the community. We love to get photos and stories like the above, as well as calendar event listings and more.
We want to be the go-to source for all the many ways people in East Cobb are involved in the community.
It’s what we call The Power of Local, and we’d love for you to take part!
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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
It felt like a rock-and-roll party with a president serving as the maestro.
For most of the day on Wednesday, fans of President Donald Trump waited outside, and then inside the gymnasium, at Wheeler High School, eager to get a glimpse and take part in in a program touting the American economy and a new investment program for children.
Fans of President Trump could get their pictures taken before Wednesday’s rally.
Those who don’t like the president showed up in droves too, in multiple locations, to register their displeasure that Trump’s appearance was nothing more than a partisan political rally conducted on the grounds of the Cobb County School District.
Several prominent Georgia Republican candidates running for statewide office this fall spoke—no Democrats did—as did two of Trump’s cabinet secretaries in a jam-packed Wildcat Arena.
Not far away, at Eastvalley Elementary School, and the Pavilions at East Lake Shopping Center, Trump foes hoisted signs and chanted their opposition.
There were no reported signs of trouble or incident at any venue during the day-long event. Parking lots at Wheeler and Eastvalley opened at 8 a.m., and traffic was still filing out near 6 p.m.
There was a heavy law enforcement presence at two schools, with a full force of Cobb County School District police officers and Cobb Police, in addition to te U.S. Secret Service protecting the president.
Photo by Nicholas Hoffman.
Hundreds of attendees lined up hours before the event began and as the weather began to turn hot. Several food trucks offered some quick food—a television correspondent wolfed down a hamburger before heading through the press entry.
And there were numerous black armored vehicles surrounding the Wheeler campus as a security sweep was conducted mid-morning.
The attendees waiting hours for Trump to arrive, entertained by an eclectic playlist ranging from Elvis Presley to disco tunes to “How Great Thou Art” and Trump’s signature rally song, “YMCA.”
“We’re finally turning money over to our children,” the president said of the Trump Accounts. Photo by Aaron Cleveland.
Inside the arena
“This is the Golden Age of America,” Trump proclaimed as he began his nearly wide-ranging, more than an hour-long remarks, after arriving nearly an hour late.
He repeated familiar themes since his return to the presidency, saying that the “whole world” was laughing at the U.S. under “Sleepy Joe” Biden, “but now we’re respected like never before. This country is rocking and rolling.”
Trump’s visit was to tout the programs and initiatives that are forming the core of a national Republican election campaign message this fall—”Powering the American Dream,” and that went heavy on affordability issues.
He said it was fueling “the next generation with the power of freedom and capitalism.”
Among those measures are “Trump Accounts,” investment accounts for children born between 2025 and 2028—the years of Trump’s second term—seeded with a $1,000 government payment, and with a maximum of $5,000 each yea until that child is 18.
“We’re finally giving money back to our children,” Trump said, and he introduced two families after that were taking advantage of the new program to sign up for the accounts.
Virginia Pasquarelli called the Trump rally a “farce.”
As did the warm-up speakers before him, Trump attacked Congressional and other Democrats and the “radical left” for pushing Communism, which he called “the single-greatest threat that we have ever seen to our country.
“The United States of America is not and never will be a Communist country,” he said, as the hundreds of attendees inside the gym rose to their feet, chanting, “USA! USA!”
Trump took aim at Congressional Democrats for blocking or voting against most of his legislative and policy goals on the economy, immigration, and cultural issues, and noted that they continue to support “men in women’s sports.”
He singled out incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is up for re-election in November, referring to him as “PeeWee Herman.”
His Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, was in Washington with voting sessions in progress.
But other Georgia Republicans were front and center at the Trump rally, including gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson.
Jackson said he wanted Georgia to add to the Trump Accounts by matching the $1,000 federal payment, and if he’s elected governor and the legislature doesn’t do it, “I’ll personally donate it myself.”
Battleground Cobb
In recent election cycles once staunchly-Republican Cobb has gone Democratic, with only the Cobb Board of Education in GOP hands, by a 4-3 edge.
The only Republican up for election in November is David Chastain of Post 4 in Northeast Cobb, who is being challenged by Democrat Micheal Garza, a frequent critic of the Cobb school district.
Chastain was among the six of the seven current board members who attended the Trump rally on Wednesday, including two of the three Democrats. Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, a Republican from District 3 in East Cobb, also was in attendance.
Cobb school district Superintendent Chris Ragsdale began the speeches by saying it was “an awesome honor to have the president of the United States.” He also was loudly applauded later when Trump referenced him.
In addition to Jackson, GOP nominees for statewide office who spoke were Greg Dolezal (lieutenant governor), Brian Strickland (attorney general) and Tim Fleming (secretary of state), who also emphasized the affordability and “American Dream” themes.
So did two of Trump’s cabinet members, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who got one of the larger ovations even before he said that “Cobb County is Trump Country.”
He said the Trump Accounts program wasn’t a “government handout” but rather “a triumph of capitalism over socialism.”
Anti-Trump protestors lined Roswell Road Wednesday during the Trump event nearby at Wheeler. Photo by Jadyn Villegas.
Protesting ‘this farce’
Several hundred people turned out Wednesday near Wheeler to oppose the president’s visit.
They included Virginia Pasquarelli, who showed up at the Pavilions at East Lake “No Kings”protest organized by Indivisible Cobb, a liberal advocacy group that has held several “No Kings” protests in East Cobb since Trump’s return to office.
Photo by Ray Dafrico.
“Ashamed Wheeler would play host to this farce,” she said. “We know Trump came to drum up GOP enthusiasm for the elections.”
Across from Wheeler at Eastvalley Elementary School, the Cobb County Democratic Committee also set up a protest, with people lining the fences behind Holt Road for most of the day.
At both venues, some of the messages were rather frank, and even profane. But another East Cobb News reader, Ray Dafrico, sent us a photo he took of someone he identified as a Trump supporter who was holding a sign with an anti-Semitic message.
Cobb Democrats posted photos of the same man, with a social media message asking “Cobb Republicans sent their best today. Is this what you think is acceptable Cobb County Schools?”
The Democrats also refuted claims about Cobb being Trump Country, noting he’s lost the county in all three of his presidential race.
Early Wednesday night, Georgia Democratic Party chairman Charlie Bailey said “Trump tried and failed to do damage control” in his East Cobb speech, calling it “a disaster for Georgia Republican candidates at every level of the ticket.
A young protester at the “No Kings” event counters the Trump message to future generations. Photo by Jadyn Villegas.
Among those in attendance at the Cobb Democratic protest was Michelle Schreiner, who is challenging veteran GOP State Rep. Sharon Cooper.
“Thirty years after graduating from Wheeler High School, I came back to stand with neighbors speaking up for our public schools, our families, and the future our children deserve,” she said on her campaign Facebook page.
“This is what democracy looks like.”
East Cobb News will have more coverage and photos in future posts over the next few days. If you attended and would like to share your photos/videos/experiences, please e-mail us: [email protected].
Thanks to all of you who sent in your items today! We appreciate all of our East Cobb News readers!
Please click the middle button below to view more photos, and under that are some videos from inside the rally venue.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Information and photo submitted by Cobb County School District:
Through a partnership with the University of West Georgia, educators within Cobb Schools are able to earn advanced degrees at no cost of their own.
Since the launch of the Georgia’s BEST program, well over 500 Cobb teachers and staff members have graduated.
This year, 74 Cobb educators completed their doctorate degrees and presented their capstone projects in front of a panel of leaders from Cobb Schools and the University of West Georgia.
“I’ve always wanted to get my doctorate, but really, I have a daughter. I’m paying for college, and I was like, it was out of reach. Having this opportunity was huge, and I definitely think I am a greater asset to Cobb now that I’ve gone through this program,” said Walton High School teacher Tobie Hendricks.
To successfully defend their Capstone projects, these Cobb educators spent months researching their assigned topics.
The topics were intentionally aligned with each educator’s background and district role, giving them the opportunity to apply their research in ways that could strengthen classroom instruction and support student success across Cobb.
“It really has helped me to see how the instruction and the decisions that we’re making in our classroom, how we can even look at it on a bigger scale and improve student instruction in our district, and also to help make sure that we’re meeting all the students’ needs,” said Dowell Elementary School 2nd-grade teacher Lindsey Tackett.
Along with these teachers finding personal and professional growth, they did so without paying any money of their own.
“It’s amazing that we have such a wonderful district and superintendent who really cares about helping his teachers be the best that they can be, and he’s putting his money where his mouth is. And we really appreciate his support through all of this,” said Eastside Elementary 5th-grade teacher Elisabeth Gibbon.
Georgia’s BEST made an advanced degree possible for many educators who recognized its value but once thought the opportunity was out of reach.
What this means for Cobb Schools and the more than 100,000 students is that more educators are advancing their own learning and ensuring that Cobb continues to provide the best possible learning environment.
“I do firmly believe that Cobb is the best place to teach, lead, and learn,” said Compton Elementary teacher Emily Robinson.
To learn more about Georgia’s BEST and how Cobb teachers can apply, you can click HERE to learn more.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Approaching Wheeler and Eastvalley Elementary School across the street, preparations were underway for the traffic, crowds and activities that will engulf the school campuses and surrounding neighborhoods.
Yellow fencing has been placed along the campus fronts of both schools, and traffic cones and other items used for traffic purposes are being laid out.
At the entrance to Club Valley Drive, directly across from the Wheeler gym, yellow tape has been placed along either side of the road.
In the parking lot of Eastvalley, Verizon equipment was being uploaded for television crews and other recording activities that accompany presidential visits.
In the bus lane at Wheeler, a row of portable toilets has been set up, and a food truck is parked near the entrance. A few workers were milling around in both parking lots, as was a Cobb County School District police car.
Trump’s visit comes less than two weeks before the start of the 2026-27 academic year in the Cobb school district. Teachers and staff have not yet reported to their campuses.
A Wheeler band camp has been relocated to the campus of East Cobb Middle School on Terrell Mill Road.
“We are also incredibly grateful to our Booster Board and the parent and community volunteers who moved instruments and equipment, set up scaffolding so our directors could see the drill, and lined the field for marching rehearsal.” according to a message on the band’s Facebook page.
Trump will be speaking in Wildcat Arena, the Wheeler gymnasium, starting at 3 p.m., according to an update from the White House Press Office. The ticketed event that’s open to the public will be filling up well before that, including local elected officials from the Cobb Board of Education.
Also expected to attend are Rick Jackson, Republican nominee for Georgia governor, and Mike Collins, Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate.
On-site parking will open around 8:30 a.m Wednesday and road closures will begin in the area starting at 12:30 p.m. East Cobb News has contacted the Cobb Police Department for details, but has not received a response.
The Cobb school district has spread its initial message about the Trump message through its Cobb Teaching and Learning System portal to school families.
“The visit provides an opportunity to showcase the academic excellence, exceptional educators, and high-achieving students that have made Cobb Schools a national leader in public education,” the district said.
But the district has not explained how the Trump visit was arranged, or why Wheeler was chosen. He is the third U.S. president or presidential candidate to visit a Cobb school campus, along with Georgie W. Bush (Harrison) and Barack Obama (McEachern).
Trump is expected to speak about child investment accounts and other legislation targeting affordability issues as the 2026 elections approach in November.
The Cobb County Democratic Committee and other liberal groups are planning protests near Wheeler.
The CCDC said Tuesday it will be having a “Trump Out of Cobb” rally at Eastvalley between 9-4. Indivisible Cobb, a liberal advocacy group that has organized No Kings rallies in East Cobb, will have a “base camp” at the Pavilions at East Lake shopping center (2100 Roswell Road) from 12-4.
The group also has set up shuttle service to Wheeler from Sedalia Park Elementary School and Eastside Baptist Church on Lower Roswell Road.
“No matter how much school leadership at the Cobb County School District tries to deny it, this is an event to boost the profiles of local and statewide Republicans in one of the state’s bluet counties,” the CCDC said in a statement Tuesday.
A Cobb school district police car patrols Holt Road between the Wheeler and Eastvalley entrances Tuesday.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The Cobb County School District officially celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of its second Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy(CITA), located at Allatoona High School, marking another significant investment in preparing students for high-demand careers.
The state-of-the-art facility expands career-focused educational opportunities for Cobb students by offering hands-on learning experiences, industry-recognized certifications, internships, and direct pathways into college and the workforce.
The new academy features four career pillars:
Aviation
Healthcare
Skilled Trades
Advanced Computing
Students enrolled at CITA will learn from instructors with real-world industry experience while gaining practical skills aligned with Cobb County’s workforce needs.
“This facility represents our commitment to preparing students for high-skill, high-demand, high-wage careers,” said Dr. Tiffany Barney, Executive Director of the Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy. “Our students have access to incredible opportunities that allow them to explore their passions while earning valuable certifications and workplace experience before they graduate.”
The academy was made possible through voter-approved SPLOST funding and strong partnerships with local businesses, higher education institutions, and community organizations, including Wellstar Health System, Chattahoochee Technical College, Cobb EMC, NAPA, Evergreen Construction, and DLR Group.
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale emphasized that the new academy demonstrates the district’s commitment to ensuring every student has a pathway to success.
“Student success looks different for every child,” Ragsdale said. “Whether students choose college, technical education, military service, or enter the workforce immediately after graduation, CITA provides the tools and certifications they need to succeed.”
The Allatoona campus will welcome 116 students during its inaugural year, joining nearly 500 students already enrolled at the original CITA campus at Osborne High School.
District leaders noted the academy is designed not only to benefit students but also to strengthen Cobb County’s future workforce by aligning educational programs with regional industry needs.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Ashley Ford is moving from Mt. Bethel ES to Brumby ES.
With the 2026-27 school year starting in the Cobb County School District Aug. 3, a number of schools are announcing staff changes.
In June, the Cobb Board of Education signed off on several school-level appointments, including assistant principals.
At East Cobb schools, 13 new assistant principal appointments were made, as teachers and staff begin to report.
In a separate post, we noted the hiring of former Wheeler football coach Bryan Love to an assistant principal position at Pope High School, and here are the others.
Brumby Elementary School
Ashley Ford comes from Mt. Bethel Elementary School, where she was an assistant principal. She has served in other roles at Smyrna Elementary School, Sedalia Park Elementary School and Fair Oaks Elementary School.
Daniell Middle School
John Cole Ross has been a teacher at Wheeler High School for the last two years. He also has been a teacher in Cherokee County schools.
Dickerson Middle School
Elin Griffin has taught at Hightower Trail Middle School and East Cobb Middle School as well as in Griffin, Woodstock and at Mt. Paran Christian School. She also was the director of adult growth at His Hands Church in in Woodstock.
East Cobb Middle School
James Auld comes from North Cobb High School, where he was an assistant principal and teacher since 2021.
Keheley Elementary School
Helen Walcott has been an assistant principal at Sanders, Compton and Baker elementary schools in Cobb and also taught and was a counselor in DeKalb County and Atlanta schools.
Matthew Staruch was a longtime teacher at Walton HS.
Kell High School
Matthew Staruch has been an assistant principal at Harrison High School since 2022 and was a teacher at Walton High School from 2006-2022.
Marion Ealy has been an assistant principal at Pebblebrook High School and Wheeler High School and was a teacher and school leadership intern at Kennesaw Mountain High School.
Mabry Middle School
Dustin Owens has been a teacher at East Cobb Middle School since 2023, and has taught and been a parapro in Fulton County schools.
Mt. Bethel Elementary School
Marlo Williams was a teacher for the last 10 years at Dowell Elementary School.
Sedalia Park Elementary School
Tara Oliver comes from Austell Elementary School, where she has been an assistant principal since 2018. She Also has been a teacher and administrator at Birney Elementary School
Simpson Middle School
Allen Cami has been a teacher since 2006 at McClure Middle School, and began his career in the Gwinnett County schools.
Sprayberry High School
Michaela Hicks has been a teacher at Allatoona High School since 2021, and before that, taught in Paulding County schools for seven years.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Former Wheeler High School football coach Bryan Love is staying in East Cobb.
Pope High School announced on Thursday that Love has been named an assistant principal for the 2026-27 school year that begins on Aug. 3.
“What excites me about joining Pope High School is the opportunity to become part of a school known for its outstanding academics, student involvement, and strong sense of community,” Love said in a message on the school’s Facebook page.
“I look forward to building meaningful relationships with students, faculty, staff and families while supporting a positive school culture where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”
For the last seven years, Love was a teacher and head football coach at Wheeler, compiling a record of 26-47 and one state playoff appearance. Wheeler announced a coaching change in January and hired Travis Roland, who won a state championship in Florida.
Love’s previous teaching, coaching and administrative experience includes McEachern High School, Westlake High School in Atlanta, Woodland High School in Stockbridge, Camden County High School and Lamar County High School.
He was an athletics director at Westlake and Lamar County for a total of four years, according to his resume.
A graduate of West Virginia State University, Love holds a master’s degree in education from Berry College and he began his teaching career in Volusia County, Fla.
Love said in his message to the Pope community that each of his roles as a teacher, coach and athletics director “has reinforced my belief that strong relationships, high expectations and a commitment to student success are at the heart of a thriving school community.
“My goal is to help every student feel known, supported, challenged, and prepared for success beyond high school.”
Love will be one of five assistant principals at Pope under Principal Matthew Bradford, who also came from Wheeler.
Josh Mathews, Pope’s athletics director and an assistant principal for the last 14 years, left for Florida in June.
Dr. Lindsay Barnette
The Cobb County School District told East Cobb News that Pope assistant principal Dr. Lindsay Barnette will be succeeding Mathews.
At Pope, Barnette directs the Globalization Academy, oversees Milestone and ACCESS testing, and manages school discipline.
She also has been leading “Greyhound Madness” events at sports events and coordinates the “Pope Preview.”
Barnette came to Pope in 2020 after teaching physical education at Kell High School and serving as a school leadership intern at Sprayberry High School.
In the 2025-26 school year, Pope was named a recipient of the Georgia Athletic Directors Association Directors’ Cup, which goes to all-sports champions in each of the Georgia High School Association sports classifications.
Pope had the highest point total in Class 6A with state champions in girls cross country, girls track and field and flag football, a state finalist baseball team and state semifinals appearances in volleyball and girls soccer.
In a message on the Pope athletics Facebook page in June, Mathews said it was “time to close the chapter on one part of the book and the book continues.
“As I walk out I’m just appreciative of all the teams and coaches and the community . . . I just think about all the special moments that we got to experience at Pope.
“We are incredibly grateful for our time time getting to serve here as the athletic director at Pope High School. . . . What a privilege, what an honor. We wish you nothing but the best.”
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up and you’re good to go!
