East Cobb Schools

Cobb school board approves FY 23 budget, Wheeler renovations

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The Cobb Board of Education unanimously adopted a fiscal year 2023 budget on Thursday that will provide what Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said is the biggest salary increase in the history of the Cobb County School District.Cobb County School District, Cobb schools dual enrollment summit

The record $1.4 billion budget, which takes effect July 1, includes pay hikes between 8.5 and 13.10 percent for non-temporary employees.

The raises were included as the Cobb tax digest is expected to grow by more than 10 percent in 2022, and follows $2,000 bonuses for teachers that were approved by the Georgia legislature.

“This is something every team member does not take lightly,” Ragsdale told board members after the vote, expressing his appreciation on behalf of the district’s more than 18,000 employees.

The district will use $29.5 million in budget contingency to fund the budget, roughly half of which is funded by the state through the Quality Basic Education Act.

More budget information can be found by clicking here.

The board also passed, by a 7-0 vote, a measure for the district to hire an architect for classroom renovations at Wheeler High School.

The district will spend $309,111 for Gardner Spencer Smith Tench & Jarbeau of Atlanta to conduct architectural design to upgrade STEM and CTAE classrooms and make other modifications, including upgrading elevated walkways between buildings and converting tennis courts.

Board member Jaha Howard asked Marc Smith, the district’s chief technology and operations officer, if the scope of the work included changing the name of Wheeler—”a Confederate general.”

Board chairman David Chastain said “that’s not part of the agenda item.”

Howard is one of three Democrats on the board who has tried to press for consideration of the Wheeler name change, but they haven’t had the votes to get the matter placed on a board agenda.

A first-term member from Post 2 in Smyrna, Howard is not seeking re-election this year. He is among the Democratic candidates for Georgia School Superintendent who will be on the primary ballot next Tuesday.

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Cobb school board scheduled to adopt fiscal year 2023 budget

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The Cobb Board of Education is scheduled to adopt a fiscal year 2023 budget of $1.4 billion at its monthly voting session Thursday night.Campbell High School lockdown

The budget proposal includes what Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said is a record salary increase for for full-time, non-temporary employees, ranging from between 8.5 percent and 13.1 percent.

A public hearing on the budget took place last month, and the board adopted a tentative budget.

Another public hearing is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, followed by the voting session at 7 p.m.

The board will hold a work session starting at 2 p.m., followed by an executive session.

Agendas for the board work session and business meeting can be found here. The meetings also will be live-streamed on the district’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24.

Public comment periods will take place at the start of each meeting; speakers must sign up in advance by clicking here.

The Cobb tax assessor is projecting that the county’s tax digest will grow by more than 10 percent in 2022.

Roughly half of the Cobb school district’s budget comes from local property taxes, and the state provides most of the rest through the Quality Basic Education Act.

The budget documents have been posted on the district’s website at this link. The 2022-23 budget takes effect on July 1.

The board also will be asked to approve the hiring of an architect to make renovations at Wheeler High School.

The work will include conversion of traditional classrooms for STEM instruction, and upgrades at the Wheeler STEM magnet building.

The district is recommending the Atlanta firm of Gardner Spencer Smith Tench & Jarbeau at a cost of $309,116, which is 5 percent of the construction contract.

That item will be presented at the work session and scheduled for a vote in the evening.

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Preliminary work underway for Walton HS athletics complex

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Walton athletic complex construction begins

Construction fencing has gone up around the new Walton High School athletic complex, and some basic excavating and groundwork is getting underway.

When the Cobb Board of Education approved the $6.738 million contract in March, a rendering wasn’t available.

A Walton student who’s interested in an architecture career got in touch with us to find out more, then passed along the above architectural plans that he found on the school website.

The complex will be the new home for Raiders’ baseball and tennis teams. Access will be on Providence Road for tennis (at the left of the rendering, and Pine Road for baseball (at the bottom), with about 80 parking spaces.

The Cobb school board spent $5.65 million to acquire property for the complex, which was planned after several sports teams were relocated due the construction of the new Walton classroom building that opened in 2017.

The Walton softball and tennis teams have been playing home competitions at Terrell Mill Park since 2014.

The softball team has since moved back to the former site of the baseball team, which is playing home games this season at the East Cobb Baseball complex near Kell High School.

Construction of the Walton sports complex is expected to be completed by December.

Walton athletic complex construction begins

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4 East Cobb students earn $2.5K National Merit Scholarships

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The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has awarded $2,500 scholarships to students nationwide, including four from high schools in East Cobb. East Cobb National Merit Scholarship Program

According to a press release, the recipients are “finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.”

It’s the second of four rounds of scholarship announcements for the Class of 2022, and the funding comes from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s own funds.

Future recipients will be announced in June.

The $2,500 scholarship recipients from East Cobb schools are as follows:

  • Chinmay P. Joshi, Walton High School—Probable career field: Medicine
  • Aadi Katta, Walton High School—Probable career field: Computer Science
  • Satya S. Tetali, Wheeler High School—Probable career field: Biochemistry
  • Oluwaseminire A. Oloyede, Pope High School—Probable career field: Medicine

For more information on the National Merit Scholarship program, click here.

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U.S. News ranks 6 East Cobb high schools among nation’s best

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Lassiter High School graduation rate

All six high schools in the East Cobb area have been ranked among the top 40 percent nationally by U.S. News and World Report, which released its annual Best High Schools marks last week.

The Cobb County School District said in a release that 13 of its high schools are in the top 40 percent of more than 18,000 schools nationwide.

Walton High School is ranked No. 2 in metro Atlanta, No. 4 in Georgia and No. 174 in the country.

Lassiter High School comes in at No. 7 in metro Atlanta and No. 10 in the state, while Pope is No. 16 in metro Atlanta and No. 20 in Georgia.

Wheeler High School is ranked No. 34 in metro Atlanta and No. 42 in Georgia, while Sprayberry is at No. 57 in Metro Atlanta and No. 69 in Georgia.

Kell High School is ranked No. 61 in metro Atlanta and No. 75 in Georgia.

The rankings were developed based on graduation rates, test scores and college readiness metrics, among other factors.

All 16 of Cobb’s traditional high schools were recently named AP Honor Schools by the Georgia Department of Education.

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13 Wheeler HS students earn scholarships in AVID program

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Wheeler HS AVID students earn scholarships
Wheeler AVID students explain their success to members of the Rotary Club of East Cobb.

The Advancement Via Individual Determination or (AVID) program was started at Wheeler High School in 2017 by the Rotary Club of East Cobb to assist students who are from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education and/or may become the first members of their families to attend college.

The Cobb County School District announced this week that 13 Wheeler seniors in the current AVID program have been accepted to college and have received more than $5 million in scholarship offers.

In addition to rigorous coursework, AVID students also receive additional academic, social, and emotional support as they prepare for college.

“One of the AVID seniors earned millions in scholarships and another more than $350,000 in scholarships. Two other AVID graduates totaled up $40,000 and $37,000 in scholarship offers,” the district announced in press release.

“After graduating from Wheeler, the AVID students plan to major in sports medicine, political science, biology, forensic science, psychology, chemistry, international business, and more. One is set on being a pediatric surgeon, while another aims for law school.”

The students recently met with Rotary Club members, who have donated more than $60,000 since the program started.

“We all migrated from Nigeria to the U.S. to chase the American dream, student Amblessed said. “It’s a lot of pressure because we traveled all this way, but we have to succeed. I was under a lot of stress.”

AVID teacher Rachel Lewis told the Rotarians that “you are singlehandedly providing them with an opportunity they would not have otherwise had, and I thank you for that.”

AVID began with two students, and reached 90 this year. The district said 67 rising freshmen have already applied to be part of the program in the fall.

“I’m really grateful for every single person and the [Wheeler] program and teaching staff, everyone and all the people that have supported us,” Wheeler senior Ayomide said. “It’s been some of the greatest years of my life.”

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Kell HS student earns $30K ‘For Atlanta’ college scholarship

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Kell HS earns For Atlanta scholarship
Kell High School senior Kaelynn Kelly, left, meets singer-songwriter Clairo after an Atlanta concert.

Kaelynn Kelly, a senior at Kell High School, has been awarded a $30,000 college scholarship from the singer-songwriter Clairo.

The base of the “For Atlanta” scholarship was $20,000, and the entertainer added an additional $10,000 with proceeds from merchandise sales at some of her Atlanta performances.

The scholarship was launched with bold.org, which works to reduce student debt, and is open to high school and undergraduate college students from the Atlanta area.

Scholarship applicants were to explain how they’ve overcome obstacles and how Clairo’s music inspired them.

Kelly, who has a twin sister and was was born with cerebral palsy, wrote an essay about her childhood and the physical therapy she still receives, as well as the ankle foot orthosis that she wore for several years:

“Clairo’s song Alewife reminds me and my sister’s relationship. Arelynn was and still is my anchor. In the lyrics, ‘I met you by surprise. You were hangin’ out all the time. But you know you saved me from doin’ something to myself that night.’ It makes me ponder the thought that Arelynn and I were not supposed to be twins and it was a surprise.”

Kelly also was treated to a Clairo concert in Atlanta and back stage visit (photo above).

After graduating from Kell, Kelly is planning to attend Kennesaw State University and study cyber security.

She concluded her essay by saying that physical therapy “is something I will have to do for the rest of my life, and I am okay with that. My cerebral palsy is extremely meaningful to me because it is a part of who I am. My parents helped me understand my potential and assisted me in finding the strength to prove to myself that I am more than just my disorder.”

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McCleskey MS holds international night with food, culture and more

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McCleskey MS International Night

Photos and information submitted by the Cobb County School District:

The food and cultural traditions of nearly 20 countries were on display recently at McCleskey Middle School, which held an International Night.

Attendees sampled the cuisines from Germany, Slovenia, Brazil, Venezuela, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Panama, Denmark, England, Jordan, Iran, and other nations.

Music, dance and other cultural traditions were highlighted during the festivities.

McCleskey paraprofessional Doug Hale said that “obviously, it shows everybody here that you are welcome here, that you mean something, that you matter. You might be the only Ecuadorian here, but it matters to us.”

English and Language Arts teacher April Staropoli said that “I also think it builds community. People come together, and it builds community.”

McCleskey MS International Night

McCleskey MS International Night

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Walton, Wheeler students receive National Merit scholarships

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Two students each from Walton and Wheeler high schools in East Cobb have been named recipients of corporate-sponsored scholarships by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.East Cobb National Merit Scholarship Program

The scholarships are provided by corporate organizations from a variety of industries and are awarded to the children of their employees or who are students who live in communities the companies serve or are planning to pursue college majors the sponsor encourages, according to an NMS release.

The specifics of each scholarship were not announced, but typically range between $1,000 and $10,000 for four years of undergraduate study. Recipients can use the funds at the college of their choice.

Neerav Ravirala of Walton, whose probable career field is molecular biology, was named the recipient of a Walgreen Co. scholarship.

Another Walton student, Franklin Zhao, has been awarded a Siemens scholarship with the intent of studying physics.

Pranav R. Devarinti of Wheeler is interested in the computer science field and is a recipient of an ADP Henry Taub Memorial Scholarship.

Also from Wheeler is Kyle Hampton, who will receive a General Dynamics Corp. scholarship with a probable career field in industrial design.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation said the recipients were chosen after filling out an extensive application, presenting academic testing results, providing information about extracurricular and community activities and writing an essay.

More recipients will be announced later this spring, with an estimated 7,500 students receiving more than $28 million in scholarship aid.

The National Merit Scholarship program is in its 67th year. For more information click here.

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Brumby ES principal retiring; Sprayberry HS architect approved

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Brumby ES principal retiring
Brumby Principal Amanda Richie (in black dress) at the 2018 ribbon-cutting for the new school campus on Terrell Mill Road.

The Cobb County School District announced Thursday that longtime Brumby Elementary School principal Dr. Amanda Richie is retiring.

The district’s human resources officer, Keeli Bowen, said Richie’s retirement is effective July 1.

Richie’s successor will be Sanda Alford, currently an assistant principal at Pitner Elementary School and a former assistant principal at Dickerson Middle School.

The news was announced after the Cobb Board of Education held an executive session where personnel decisions are discussed.

During a Thursday night voting meeting, the board voted 7-0 to approve a contract for $3.4 million and hire CGLS Architects Inc. of Atlanta to design the new classroom building at Sprayberry High School.

Although the funding for the Sprayberry rebuild is coming from the Cobb Ed-SPLOST VI that begins in 2024, starting the architectural planning work now is necessary, district officials told the board.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said that the project will be similar to those at Wheeler and Osborne high schools, which were rebuilt in increments.

He also said starting right away makes sense given a current project at Sprayberry to construct a new gymnasium and a new CTAE (Career, Technology and Agricultural Education) facility.

The board also approved a request to issue a formal “closeout” of the Eastvalley Elementary School campus on Lower Road.

That facility will remain open while a replacement school is constructed on the former site of East Cobb Middle School on Holt Road.

But a closeout declaration needs to be submitted to the Georgia Department of Education before construction can begin, according to Chief Technology and Operations Director Marc Smith.

The board also recognized four wrestlers from East Cobb high schools who won state championships: David Panone, Lassiter (Boys 6A traditional 138 pounds); May Prado, Lassiter (Girls All-Classification traditional 132 pounds); Joey Robinson, Pope (Boys 6A traditional 160 pounds); and Zyan Hall, Wheeler (Boys 6A traditional 170 pounds).

Hall finished his senior season with a 26-0 record and will be attending the U.S. Naval Academy.

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Cobb schools FY ’23 budget includes ‘highest salary increase ever’

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Cobb school budget record pay raise
Brad Johnson, the Chief Financial Officer of the Cobb County School District.

The Cobb County School District is presenting a proposed fiscal year 2023 budget of $1.4 billion that will include what Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said is the biggest salary increase for employees in district history.

At a Cobb Board of Education work session Thursday afternoon, Ragsdale made the announcement, saying the raises for full-time, non-temporary employees will range from between 8.5 percent and 13.1 percent.

The proposed budget was then presented by Chief Financial Officer Brad Johnson, who said the millage rate will we staying the same—18.9 mills.

The Cobb tax assessor is projecting that the county’s tax digest will grow by more than 10 percent in 2022.

Roughly half of the school district’s budget comes from local property taxes, and the state provides most of the rest through the Quality Basic Education Act.

The budget documents have been posted on the district’s website at this link.

The board adopted a tentative budget Thursday evening, but another public hearings will take place next month before the budget is formally adopted on May 19.

Ragsdale said the number of work days for teachers will be reduced to 187 days and salaried year-round employees will work 237 days.

Part of that is due to Juneteenth being a county and state holiday in June.

But Ragsdale said that there will “not be diminished pay to go with the diminished days.”

Ragsdale, who has been superintendent since 2015, added that this is the second time during his tenure that the district has proposed a record pay raise.

“That says a lot,” he said.

The 2022-23 budget takes effect on July 1.

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Cobb school board to hold hearings on proposed FY 2023 budget

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The Cobb Board of Education is beginning the process for adopting the fiscal year 2023 budget, and will start holding public hearings next week. Cobb County School District, Cobb schools dual enrollment summit

The first public hearing is scheduled for next Thursday, April 21, from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the board room of the Cobb County School District central office (514 Glover St., Marietta).

That’s before the board’s monthly business meeting at 7 p.m. The hearings also will be available for public comment on the district’s allocation of American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funding.

Members of the public wishing to speak can do so at that time, and will be able to sign up between 6-6:25 p.m. Speakers will have between 1-5 minutes to speak, with time to be determined by the board chairman.

A tentative budget request is expected to be made to the board at a work session Thursday that starts at 2 p.m.

Agendas for the board work session and business meeting will be posted at this link early next week. The meetings also will be live-streamed on the district’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24.

The board also will have an executive session between the meetings.

A second hearing on the proposed budget and ARPA funding will take place May 19, from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Cobb school district’s current fiscal year 2022 budget is $1.5 billion.

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McCleskey MS invites public to ‘Dragonpalooza’ festival

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The public is invited to attend McCleskey Middle School’s “Dragonpalooza” event next Thursday, April 21, from 5-9 p.m.McCleskey MS Dragonpalooza festival

The free festival is being organized by the McCleskey Foundation, along with students and staff at the school.

Events include a health fair, a student art showcase, student performances and the display of student STEAM projects.

A craft fair will include local and student vendors and a silent auction to benefit the McCleskey Foundation. 

Door prize drawings will take place and concessions will be available for pre-purchase and on the night of the event. 

McCleskey Middle School is located at 4080 Maybreeze Road in Northeast Cobb.

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Brumby ES unveils ‘The Aku Mural’ for school community use

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Brumby ES unveils Aku Mural

Brumby Elementary School is the proud new owner of what may be the first Non-Fungible Token (NFT) work of art at a public school in the U.S.

“The Aku Mural” is the collaboration of Brumby, its foundation, the Cobb County School District and a local non-profit, PaintLove and artists to transform what had been a blank 1,100-square-foot retaining wall into an inspiration for students.

The Cobb school district said the mural is themed around the artwork of Micah Johnson and his NFT character Aku, inspired by the question of “Mom, can astronauts be Black?”

The muralist is Muhammad Yungui, and the artwork is designed to serve as a backdrop for school community events, including musical performances, cookouts and movie nights.

“The Aku movement seeks to serve as a source of inspiration for children to dream big and not allow limits to be set on their dreams,” the district release states. “While Aku inspires children to chase their dreams, he is also about building a community where members help and encourage the success of others.”

Brumby ES unveils Aku mural

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East Cobb senior receives Delta Credit Union scholarship

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Erik Tekenbroek, a senior at Johnson Ferry Christian Academy in East Cobb, has been named the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship by the Delta Community Credit Union.Erik Tekenbroek Johnson Ferry Christian Academy

The scholarship is based on outstanding academic achievement, community involvement and an essay submission.

Tekenbroek is considering Hillsdale College and Cornell University with plans to major in finance with a career goal of becoming a financial planner.

He is one of five students in Georgia to receive the Delta scholarship.

“We are proud to support these hard-working students so they may focus on pursuing their academic goals,” Delta Community CEO Hank Halter said. “We hope these students will, in turn, achieve their career aspirations and develop as leaders in their chosen professions who share our commitment to foster collaboration and prosperity in local communities.”

In addition to its Scholarship Program, Delta Community also offers an annual Philanthropic Fund, more than 160 free financial literacy classes and workshops annually through its award-winning Financial Education Center, and quarterly scholarships for students attending Historically Black Colleges or Universities.

 

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Cobb students, schools honored by Georgia Dept. of Education

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Wheeler name change town hall
10 students from Wheeler High School have been named 2022 Georgia Scholars by the state Department of Education.

All six high schools in East Cobb and several students from those schools have been honored by the Georgia Department of Education and state school superintendent Richard Woods.

The state last week released its list of 2022 Advanced Placement Honor Schools, and are broken out in six categories. Kell, Lassiter, Pope, Walton and Wheeler are included in five of those categories, while Sprayberry is named in four categories.

Kell, Lassiter, Pope, Walton and Wheeler are named among the AP Schools of Distinction, which have at least 20 percent of students taking AP exams and have at least 50 percent earning a score of 3 or higher.

Kell, Lassiter, Pope, Sprayberry, Walton and Wheeler were named AP Humanities Schools (at least five students testing in an ELA course, two history/social science courses, one fine arts course and one world language course).

All six East Cobb high schools also were named AP Humanities Achievement Schools, including the description above and having with least 50% of all AP Humanities exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

Kell, Lassiter, Pope, Walton and Wheeler are AP STEM Schools, having at least five students testing in at least four AP STEM courses.

Those five also are AP STEM Achievement Schools (description above, and at least 50 percent of all AP STEM exams earning scores of 3 or higher).

In addition, Sprayberry was designated among the AP Access and Support Schools, which have at least 30 percent of AP exams taken by students who are African-American and/or Hispanic and 30 percent of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

The Georgia Department of Education also has named its 2022 class of Georgia Scholars. They excel in the classroom, participate in athletics and/or other extracurricular activities and take part in leadership opportunities.

The Cobb school district has 23 students named Georgia Scholars, including 10 from Wheeler High School. Here are the students named from East Cobb schools:

  • Pope: Christine Werts
  • Sprayberry: Riley Smith, Hannah Fischer, Jeremy Thomas, Kelynn Johnson
  • Walton: Kunling Tong, Shruthi Maharajan, Isabel Buyers, Alexa Weston, Fiona Guo, Joseph Walter
  • Wheeler: Achyutan Narayanan, Nandini Joshi, Angela Francis, Nimai Patel, Navan Kothari, Leah Caldwell, Amy Huang, Jared Loncar, Samyukta Iyer, Sujit Iyer

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Cobb schools continue registration for kindergarten, 1st grade

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The Cobb County School District is continuing online registration for kindergarten and first grade for the 2022-23 school year.Cobb schools new student registration

There’s a special link to sign up for students who are new to the district. For parents who already have a child in the district, they can use their ParentVue account to register additional new students.

The parents of new students must provide the following information:

  • Proof of residency: Home ownership documentation or lease/rental agreement; and current utility monthly statement;
  • Certificate of Immunization (Form #3231): Available from a Georgia physician or the Cobb and Douglas Public Health Department;
  • Certificate of Vision, Hearing, Dental, and Nutritional Screening Form 3300B:Available from a Georgia physician or the Cobb and Douglas Public Health Department and must be dated within 12 months of the first day of school;
  • Proof of Birth Date: The school will accept one of the following documents: a certified copy of Birth Certificate, Military ID, Passport, Adoption Record, a religious record authorized by a religious official, an official school transcript, or an affidavit of age;
  • Social Security Card or CCSD waiver Form JBC-4: The state will require the social security number for students applying for the HOPE scholarship.

Families should check their school website for more information.

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Cobb school district to pay $2K bonus for permanent employees

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The Cobb County School District will be paying a $2,000 bonus to all permanent full-time and part-time employees at the end of April.Campbell High School lockdown

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced the bonuses at Thursday’s Cobb Board of Education meeting and said the funding comes from the district’s allotment of federal CARES Act money.

Permanent employees include teachers and administrators, paraprofessionals and other staffers who are not hired on a seasonal basis.

The state of Georgia previously said it would be giving similar bonuses to bus drivers, custodians, and cafeteria workers.

The Cobb school district did not indicate in a release issued after the meeting the total cost of the bonuses.

The Cobb school district has given two retention bonuses to school bus drivers and monitors during the current school year to help prevent staff shortages.

Last April, Cobb teachers received a $1,000 bonus from the state using CARES Act funds.

Earlier this month the district announced that 98 percent of its full-time certificated employees would be returning for the 2022-23 school year, but did not indicate how many positions it needs to fill.

The district’s website has nearly 200 open positions posted. The Cobb school district has nearly 18,000 employees and is the largest employer in Cobb County.

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Pope HS principal retiring after career in Cobb school district

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New Pope gym
Thomas Flugum, at left, attending the ribbon-cutting for the new Pope High School gymnasium in 2018.

The Cobb County School District announced Thursday that Dr. Thomas Flugum is retiring as the principal of Pope High School.

The news was announced after the Cobb Board of Education held an executive session where personnel matters are discussed.

Flugum’s retirement is effective June 1, according to Keeli Bowen, the Cobb school district’s chief human resources officer. His replacement has not been named, but new principal appointments are typically made in the spring for the following school year.

Flugum has been the principal at Pope since 2017, after arriving at the East Cobb high school in 2010 as a teacher and coach and later serving as an assistant principal.

He is a former Army officer and Cobb police officer who became a teacher and coach at a number of Cobb high schools. He was an assistant football coach at Sprayberry and Lassiter and was head football coach at Wheeler.

In October 2020, Flugum was charged with DUI in Woodstock in a case that is still pending in the Cherokee County court system.

Last year, he and Cobb school district officials came under fire from local Jewish groups after swastika graffiti was found in a boys bathroom at Pope. Flugum’s letter to the school community did not specify that it was an anti-Semitic incident; Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of Temple Kol Emeth later spoke to students on the campus.

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Cobb school board approves Eastvalley ES, Walton HS projects

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Walton sports complex
Walton High School tennis courts will be built on Providence Road, next to a new baseball stadium.

The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday approved construction projects for a replacement building for Eastvalley Elementary School and a sports complex near Walton High School.

The contracts recommended by Cobb County School District passed by 7-0 votes. The Eastvalley replacement facility will cost $36.7 million and the campus will be relocated to the former East Cobb Middle School site on Holt Road.

The Walton sports complex costs $6.738 million and will house the school’s baseball and tennis teams.

During a board work session Thursday afternoon, district officials said the Walton complex will have access points on Providence Road and Pine Road and will have 80 parking spaces.

The Walton complex has been delayed several months after residents in the nearby Independence Square subdivision expressed concerns about the baseball bleachers and public address system being located near their homes.

Jennifer Sunderland, who went public with those concerns, told East Cobb News on Wednesday that they have been addressed, “and we are pleased with the new design which moved home plate and concessions so they are not directly behind neighborhood homes.”

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said at the work session that the configuration of the baseball field has been switched 180 degrees, with the outfield fencing being located closest to the homes.

Board member David Banks said he has safety issues about students using a crosswalk at Bill Murdock Road and Pine, which is a three-way stop.

He told by staff that the district is discussing the possibility of having a traffic signal at that location.

The Walton complex is expected to be completed by the end of the year, while the new Eastvalley campus is slated to open for the 2023-24 academic year.

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