East Cobb Schools

Student arrested after Sprayberry HS stabbing incident

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Sprayberry High School, Cobb Education SPLOST

Sprayberry High School

UPDATED, MARCH 21:

Cobb Police identified the suspect as Aedan Smith, 17, who was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Wednesday night.

Sgt. Eric Smith, a Cobb P0lice spokesman, said the victim, Earl Nichols, 18, is in critical condition at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.

Police said Nichols was found with several puncture wounds, likely from a knife, when Cobb Police were called to the scene by Cobb school district police.

Police said that based on witness interviews, they identified Smith as the suspect, and that the two boys had had a physical altercation.

Aedan Smith was charged with aggravated assault and possessing a weapon on a school campus.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking reports, he was being held on $10,000 bond, but the Cobb Magistrate Court Clerk’s office said Thursday morning that bond has been revoked.

ORIGINAL REPORT:

A student stabbed another student at Sprayberry High School Wednesday morning, prompting a code red alert.

The suspected assailant was later arrested, the Cobb school district said.

A message went out to the school community said that the assailant fled the scene and the victim was being treated for injuries, but didn’t provide more details.

“Earlier today, a student used a knife to injure another student. The victim has been treated for their injuries,” a Cobb County School District spokeswoman said in a statement.

“The campus is secure, and thanks to the quick response of police the suspect is custody. Learn how we keep Cobb schools safe by visiting  www.cobbshield.com and learn about Cobb’s shield of protection in this podcast.”

Wednesday’s attack at Sprayberry is the second at a Cobb high school in recent weeks. 

On Feb. 1, two former McEachern High School students were shot in the school’s parking lot during an altercation and four suspects—all of them teens—have been arrested.

The situation prompted two community town halls in that area by Cobb school board member Tre’ Hutchins. 

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Cobb school board Post 5 candidates qualify for primary

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Cobb school board candidate reports nearly $30K in fundraising

Two candidates who announced their campaigns for the Cobb Board of Education from East Cobb nearly a year ago qualified for the 2024 primary elections on Monday.

Republican John Cristadoro and Democrat Laura Judge filed qualifying paperwork and fees at their local party offices on Monday.

They’re both parents in the Walton attendance zones, and are seeking the Post 5 seat on the school board being vacated by David Banks, a four-term Republican who is not seeking re-election.

The primary election is on May 21.

Post 5, which includes the Walton, Pope and some of the Wheeler attendance zones, is one of four school board posts on the ballot this year.

Three of those seats are held by Republicans, who have a 4-3 majority on a Cobb school board that has been strongly divided along partisan lines in recent years.

In a statement released by his campaign, Cristadoro said that “I am honored to have the opportunity to represent Walton, Wheeler, and Pope High Schools. I believe that maintaining common sense leadership for Cobb schools is paramount to the continued success of all Cobb students.”

After qualifying, Judge announced that she will be holding a fundraiser Thursday hosted by Dr. Dahlia Levine of Dentistry at East Piedmont.

Here are the respective campaign websites for Cristadoro and Judge; and you can find our at-length interviews with both candidates from last spring here and here.

They are the only announced candidates to have qualified thus far. Qualifying continues through noon Friday for Congressional, legislative and local offices across Georgia.

In Cobb, there are three seats on the Board of Commissioners on the ballot—all three currently held by Democrats.

That includes District 2, where first-term Democrat Jerica Richardson has announced her candidacy for the 6th Congressional District.

The Cobb Board of Elections announced Friday it would be honoring “home rule” maps that include some of East Cobb in District 2 while a legal dispute is played out before the Georgia Supreme Court.

The legislature included most of East Cobb in District 3, represented by GOP member JoAnn Birrell. But the county is appealing a ruling by a Cobb judge that said the “home rule” maps preferred by Democrats violates the Georgia Constitution.

Oral arguments before the court are scheduled for April 17, but on Monday Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger blasted the Cobb Elections map decision.

“The Cobb County Commission’s irresponsible decision to proceed with commission-drawn maps jeopardizes candidate qualifying and puts Cobb County voters at risk for disenfranchisement,” Raffensperger said in a release. “The court has already ruled that the commission must use the maps enacted by the General Assembly. Their unilateral decision will add confusion, likely errors, and unnecessary burdens on election officials at the 11th hour. This decision does not serve the people of Georgia.”

On Monday, two previously announced Democratic candidates for District 2 qualified. They are former State Rep. Erick Allen, who drew up the home rule maps that the county is using, and former Cobb school board member Jaha Howard.

William Costa of the Kennesaw area also qualified as a Democrat for District 2.

The other seats up this year include District 4 in South Cobb and the countywide-elected chair.

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Cobb school board extends Ragsdale’s contract along party lines

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Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale received a one-year extension to his current contract Thursday to run through Feb. 28, 2027.

Cobb school board extends Ragsdale's contract
Cobb Superintendent Chris Ragsdale told his critics: “Do not come after my teachers, my principals or my team.”

The Cobb Board of Education voted 4-3 along party lines to offer the extension to a contract that will continue to pay Ragsdale, who has been superintendent since 2015, a salary of $350,000 a year.

The board’s four Republicans voted in favor, the three Democrats against, following an executive session, but didn’t discuss the matter at the voting meeting Thursday night.

Ragsdale thanked the board for the “vote of confidence” but didn’t elaborate. He later launched into scathing remarks against those critical of the district’s handling of a Feb. 1 shooting in the parking lot of McEachern High School that prompted two town hall meetings.

Two former students were shot and two current students were arrested during the incident, which didn’t extend into the school buildings.

Some citizens called for public meetings to be held on school safety plans, and others wanted the removal of McEachern principal Regina Montgomery.

But Ragsdale said that the details of those plans are discussed in executive session and are not allowed to be made public. He stood by Montgomery, and said there’s a safety plan for every school, including McEachern, and that it was followed on that day.

“I find it disturbing, but not surprising, that the same people and political groups who spoke against increased security measures in our schools . . . are now the very same people screaming the loudest about not having enough resource officers.”

At that point, some in the audience began interrupting, and one person was removed from the room.

“Please sit down and quit being rude and let us conduct our business,” board chairman Randy Scamihorn said.

Cobb school board extends Ragsdale's contract
Melissa Marten of the Cobb Community Care Coalition has been a vocal critic of Ragsdale’s leadership.

Ragsdale continued that “you can continue to come at me with all of your lies, but do not come after my teachers, my principals or my team. They’re all too far and work too high to stoop to your level.”

Before the vote, some critics—wearing shirts that read “No Confidence in Ragsdale”—spoke out against him, complaining mostly about the McEachern situation and efforts they allege the district made to restrict public commenters at the September board meetings and that created what they said was a chaotic situation.

“This was dangerous, and they are lucky no one was seriously injured,” said Melissa Marten, leader of a group called the Cobb Community Care Coalition, which has been critical of the district on a number of issues, including what it contends is an “acceleration of racism, bigotry, and censorship in Cobb County School District.”

“We demand accountability for putting our safety at risk and for district employees wasting our tax dollars and spending their time orchestrating potential violence.

“How can we have safe schools when our schools are run by people like this?” Marten said. “The problem is right here in this room looking at you right now.”

Also on Thursday, the Cobb school board voted to approve a “guaranteed maximum price” of $14.5 million for the Sprayberry High School main campus building replacement project, and to spend $9.328 million for renovations at Blackwell Elementary School on Canton Road.

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Cobb school board to set cap on Sprayberry HS rebuild

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Sprayberry High School

After approving a contractor for the replacement of the main campus building at Sprayberry High School, the Cobb Board of Education will be asked Thursday to set a maximum construction cost for the project.

The board will be asked to approve a “guaranteed maximum price” of $14.5 million at a voting session Thursday night. The item will be introduced at a work session Thursday afternoon.

The board previously approved hiring Carroll Daniel Construction of Gainesville as the construction manager for the project, which is expected to get underway this summer and take around two years to complete.

The Sprayberry rebuild is one of the first major projects of the Cobb Education-VI Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax period that began collections in January.

Setting a maximum price now, according to an agenda item, will enable the contractor “to move forward procuring long-lead time equipment, sitework/utility relocation, and other enabling work” to meet the anticipated completion deadline of July 2026.

The Cobb County School District is taking out a $100 million loan from future collections in short-term tax anticipation notes (TANS) to get early projects started. The loan has to be repaid by the end of the year.

The Sprayberry main campus building that opened in 1973 will be torn down and replaced with a main classroom and office facility, the latest in a comprehensive overhaul of the Northeast Cobb campus.

A new gymnasium recently opened at Sprayberry, which also has undergone renovations to its CTAE (Career, Technology and Agricultural Education) facility.

Also on Thursday, the board will be presented with an agenda item to spend $9.328 million for renovations at Blackwell Elementary School on Canton Road.

Among the work includes roof, door, window and HVAC replacements, telephone and technology upgrades and maintenance and replacement of computing devices and equipment.

The agenda item states a recommendation for the contract is for Ward Humphrey Inc. of Marietta with an estimated completion date of July 2025.

The board is meeting in public at a 1:30 p.m. work session Thursday and a 7 p.m. business session at the Cobb County School District Central Office (514 Glover St., Marietta).

The agendas for both meetings can be found here; an executive session will take place in between and action is indicated for the voting session for personnel, land and legal matters.

The public meetings also will be live-streamed on the district’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24.

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East Cobb high schools included in state AP honors program

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All six public high schools in East Cobb were honored in several categories Tuesday by the Georgia Department of Education as Superintendent Richard Wood designated AP Honor Schools across the state.Sprayberry High School, Cobb Education SPLOST

A total of 276 designations in 99 high schools were announced in eight categories, reflecting student achievement in Advanced Placement coursework and testing in 2023.

According to a release, “AP exams are administered by the College Board, which also administers the SAT. AP courses are one of several ways Georgia students can access college-level learning at the high school level; students who receive a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam may receive college credit. GaDOE began recognizing AP Honor Schools in 2008.”

Kell, Pope, Lassiter, Sprayberry, Walton and Wheeler were all included in the state’s list of AP STEM schools, which have “a minimum of five students testing in at least four AP STEM courses, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, and a minimum of 25 exams administered.”

Pope, Lassiter, Sprayberry, Walton and Wheeler were also named AP STEM Achievement Schools, with at least 50 percent of all AP STEM exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

Kell, Lassiter, Sprayberry and Walton were named AP Humanities Schools, those “with at least five exams administered in each of the following AP categories: one ELA course, two social studies courses, one fine arts course, and one world language course and a minimum of 25 total exams administered” as well as AP Humanities Achievement Schools, with at least 50 percent of all AP Humanities exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

Pope, Lassiter, Sprayberry, Walton and Wheeler were named AP Schools of Distinction, those having at least 20 percent of the total student population taking AP exams and at least 50 percent of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

Sprayberry was included as an AP Access and Support School, which has at least 30 percent of AP exams taken by students who identified as African American and/or Hispanic (minimum of 16 students) and 30 percent of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher (minimum 25 exams).

 

 

East Side ES students experience ‘Courtroom to Classroom’ event

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East Side ES students experience 'Courtroom to Classroom' event

Submitted information and photo:

On Friday, February 9th, 2024, the Cobb County Superior Court proudly hosted the first Courtroom to Classroom event of the new year, welcoming nearly 200 enthusiastic fourth graders from East Side Elementary School. The event aimed to educate students about the intricacies of the legal system through an engaging mock trial experience.

Under the guidance of Superior Court judges Jason D. Marbutt, Kellie S. Hill, and Henry R. Thompson, alongside State Court judge Jaret Usher, the young participants delved into a scripted mock trial to determine the guilt of “Jaime Joyride” in the alleged theft of bicycles from a local store. Judge Marbutt expressed his enthusiasm for educating children, noting, “I love having the opportunity to teach kids about our jury system and due process. I was impressed with how seriously the kid jurors took their job!”

Following the mock trial, the students had the privilege of engaging with representatives from the Cobb Sheriff’s Office’s Community Engagement Unit and meeting K-9 officers Rose and Boomer, along with their handlers, Angela and Deputy Jacob Long, respectively. These officers provided valuable insights into their roles within the community and showcased tools used to ensure public safety, including bicycle and trike patrol units. Judge Henry R. Thompson emphasized the importance of public servants participating in community outreach programs, stating, “I think it is the duty of all public servants to participate in community outreach programs whenever feasible.”

The Cobb County Superior Court looks forward to hosting more mock trials throughout the 2023-24 school year, providing valuable educational experiences for fourth- and fifth-grade groups.

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East Cobb Classic 5K and Fun Run returns for second year

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East Cobb Classic 5K and Fun Run returns for second year

Submitted information and photo:

Lace ‘em up and let ‘em fly! The East Cobb Classic 5K & Fun Run will return for its second year on March 9. This family friendly event promises a fun-filled morning for all ages while supporting the East Cobb community.

The East Cobb Classic supports the annual fund of Eastside Christian School, which has plans to build a brand new playground and greenspace area.

Registration options include a timed 5K race, untimed 5K run/walk, and a quarter-mile fun run obstacle course. The timed 5K is USATF certified and an Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race qualifying event with awards for the top 3 male and female overall finishers, in addition to age group awards. The fun run is filled with exciting obstacles that take kids up, down, and around. All fun run participants receive a finishers medal. Registration for all race day participants includes a super soft race t-shirt.

“I absolutely loved that this was a family event! Very very impressed that it was the first one! Music was great, the race started on time, and they did a fantastic job with the cones and having folks out there at all the turns and intersections. I was super impressed by this,” said competitive runner and USATF certified coach Courtney Strosnider.

“It is well organized, fun crowd, rockin’ DJ! Great race and family fun day! My kids loved getting to do their own race as well,” said Chris Darragh.

“Running and hospitality are both passions of mine. Organizing the race gives me an opportunity to combine both. I love the way it brings together the community of participants, volunteers, and sponsors,” said race director Sara Gentry.

The race takes place at Eastside Christian School, 2450 Lower Roswell Road in Marietta/East Cobb. Register by February 24 to guarantee your t-shirt! For more information and to register to run the East Cobb Classic 5K, visit eastcobbclassic.com.

 

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PeachSkinSheets makes donation to East Side Elementary PTA

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PeachSkinSheets makes donation to East Side Elementary PTA
East Side Elementary PTA Co-President Caitlin Smith, PeachSkinSheets David Bartow

Submitted information and photo:

The Original PeachSkinSheets donated $720 to East Side Elementary PTA as part of the company’s launch of Partners In Education. Many more East Cobb schools will be partnering with PeachSkinSheets this school year.

Known for its super-soft, moisture-wicking antimicrobial bedding, PeachSkinSheets understands the importance of a good night’s sleep for students and educators. Sleep impacts more than just students’ ability to perform well; it improves the ability to learn, memorize, retain, recall and use new knowledge to solve problems creatively. With 32 ultra-soft colors from which to choose, PeachSkinSheets is a necessity for optimal sleep and creativity this school year.

How it works: Families receive a unique online discount code for their school, and with every qualifying purchase, PeachSkinSheets donates $20 per set back to the individual school. All proceeds will be used at schools for various projects including classroom supplies, podcast equipment, teacher appreciation, libraries and more. Online purchase with home delivery makes it simple and easy for Principals/PTAs as well as school families.

On-going commitment: In May 2024, a Teacher Appreciation discount event will give educators a great night’s sleep at an affordable price, while also providing additional funding for teacher’s needs.

The PeachSkinSheets Partners In Education program proudly supports schools across the country while enriching communities. Partners In Education plans to donate $1 Million to schools. For more information, please visit partnerwithpeachskin.com.

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Powers Ferry ES ‘Terrific Kids’ honored by Golden K Kiwanis

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Powers Ferry ES 'Terrific Kids' honored by Golden K Kiwanis
L to R: Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K members Jim Perry and Rosie Teague; Elayna Wilson, Principal of Powers Ferry Elementary School; Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K members Paul Smith, KCMGK President and member John Kone

Submitted information and photo:

Twenty four Powers Ferry Elementary School  students were presented with a “TERIFFIC KIDS” certificate on February 1st, 2024. Terrific Kids, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K recognizes students who have demonstrated excellence in showing “RESPECT” during the month of January. 

Jim Perry, Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K explained, “Terrific Kids  is a character-building program that recognises students for modifying their behavior. The program encourages kids to become the best version of themselves.  Kids determine what being terrific means to them, then develop their own goals and use peer mentoring to hold themselves accountable for the actions they take each week. When a participant  achieves a goal, he or she is recognized for being a Terrific Kid.”

Elayna Wilson, Principal of Powers Ferry ES and Aimee Pieree of the Powers Ferry ES staff presided over the presentation.  A brief party followed the ceremony whereby students that received a certificate received a scrumptious “good bag” filled with delicious snacks.

The presentation was held at 8 am so as not to interfere with students “rest of the day” activities.  A great way to start the school day … a “Teriffic Kids” certificate and morning snack. Congratulations to all of the Powers Ferry Elementary School “TERIFFIC KIDS.” 

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Delta Community’s college scholarship program accepting entries

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Submitted information:

Delta Community Credit Union philanthropic grants
Delta Community Credit Union Logo (PRNewsFoto/Delta Community Credit Union)

Delta Community Credit Union, Georgia’s largest credit union with more than $8.6 billion in assets, is accepting entries for its 19th Annual College Scholarship Program. Delta Community will award a $5,000 scholarship to five deserving students to assist with the cost of their college education. Applicants will be awarded scholarships based on their academic achievement, community involvement and essays on the following topic:

With an understanding that financial literacy is an important subject often omitted from school curriculums across many grade levels, Delta Community has developed a nationally recognized Financial Education Center, providing consumers of all ages with comprehensive knowledge of money, saving, banking, investing and more. As you embark on your future, how do you plan to use key financial tips learned along your journey to help you reach your goals?

“Our annual scholarship program emphasizes the importance of financial education, which we believe is essential to everyone’s personal and professional journeys,” said Hank Halter, Delta Community’s CEO. “As champions of community education, we take pride in helping exceptional students pay for the cost of higher learning so they can focus on pursuing their goals and ambitions.”

Applicants must be Delta Community members seeking a first-time undergraduate degree and enrolled full-time at an accredited U.S. college or university during the 2024-2025 fall semester. Students must complete the Delta Community 2024 scholarship application online by 5 p.m. ET on March 1, 2024, in order to qualify, and the award recipients will be announced in early April.

In addition to its annual Scholarship Program, Delta Community offers scholarships for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and provides hundreds of free classes in metro Atlanta through its Financial Education Center.

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GOP-backed Cobb school board redistricting bill signed into law

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Following up last week’s story about a GOP Cobb school board map that passed the Senate; the same bill was approved by the House Monday by a party-line vote and was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Brian Kemp.

GOP-backed Cobb school board redistricting bill passes House
State Sen. Ed Setzler’s Cobb school board electoral map would split the Walton and Wheeler attendance zones. For a larger view click here.

The Georgia legislature was ordered to draw new maps last month by a federal judge as part of a continuing lawsuit alleging that the 2022 maps diluted minority voting strength under the U.S. Voting Rights Act.

The judge, Eleanor Ross, will review the newly approved map.

The 2022 maps pushed most of the East Cobb area (Walton and Wheeler attendance zones) out of Post 6 and into the Cumberland-Vinings-Smyrna area.

That’s one of three posts held by Democrats on the seven-member Cobb Board of Education. Republicans hold a 4-3 majority and three of the GOP-occupied seats expire at the end of this year.

That includes Post 5 in East Cobb, where four-term Republican David Banks is retiring. The new map, sponsored by GOP Sen. Ed Setzler of Acworth would include most of the Wheeler zone in Post 6.

The 2022 maps had Walton, Wheeler and Pope clusters in Post 5, with Kell, and most of the Lassiter and Sprayberry clusters in Post 4, which is represented by Republican David Chastain.

The new maps were introduced despite the objections of the Democratic-majority Cobb legislative delegation. Rep. Teri Anulewics of Smyrna, the delegation chairwoman, has introduced her own maps, and legislation has passed the House.

Democrats contend the Setzler map continues to pack minority voters into limited areas and reduce their political influence.

Qualifying for school board races is in early March, with primaries in May. Thus far Democrat Laura Judge and Republican John Cristadoro, parents in the Walton zone, have announced their candidacies for the Post 5 seat.

(Note: While school board posts are drawn by the legislature, school attendance zones are determined administratively by the Cobb County School District.)

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Cobb school district opens 2024-25 school choice slots

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Campbell High School lockdown

The Cobb County School District has opened up its annual period for school choice transfers for the following school year.

The deadline to apply for a school choice transfer for the 2024-25 academic year is Feb. 16.

According to the school district, “available space at a school is based on permanent classroom space. In the event that the number of transfer requests exceeds the available capacity of a school, the District will conduct a random lottery.”

Parents have the flexibility to transfer their children under transfer provisions of Georgia’s Quality Basic Education Act.

The following schools in East Cobb have the following availability:

Elementary Schools

  • Blackwell, 140 slots
  • Brumby, 25
  • Davis, 125
  • Keheley, 158
  • Kincaid, 69
  • Mountain View, 56
  • Nicholson, 126
  • Powers Ferry, 59
  • Sedalia Park, 249
  • Shallowford Falls, 266
  • Timber Ridge, 68
  • Tritt, 73

Middle Schools

  • Daniell, 199
  • Mabry, 197
  • McCleskey, 335
  • Simpson, 10

High Schools

  • Kell, 392
  • Lassiter, 33
  • Pope, 30
  • Sprayberry, 150

The full list can be found by clicking here; schools that do not have any seats available are not listed.

The link also has further information on eligibility criteria for the transfer program.

Parents will be informed of transfer approval before spring break, and they must accept an approved transfer by March 29.

For questions about the transfer program, e-mail: Student.Transfers@cobbk12.org.

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Cobb schools resume Wednesday; wind chill advisory issued

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From the Cobb County School District:Cobb County School District, Cobb schools dual enrollment summit

“All Cobb schools and administrative offices will return to a normal schedule on Wednesday, January 17th.

According to the National Weather Service, tomorrow will be extremely cold, and the wind chill temperatures could be a shock to you and your children.  Please be sure your children are dressed appropriately, especially if they will be waiting at bus stops. As you know, the Here Comes the Bus app allows you to track your student’s bus in real-time, so your student can remain indoors until the bus draws near. If you or your student will be driving, please continue using caution on the roads. 

Our Team looks forward to seeing your children in school on Wednesday!”

About the weather:

The National Weather Service in Atlanta has issued a wind chill advisory from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday for Cobb and much of North Georgia.

Temperatures are expected to reach into the low teens overnight Tuesday, but wind chill factors could make conditions feel near zero or a few degrees below during that advisory period.

Those conditions could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken when moving about outdoors.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for sunny skies and highs in the mid 30s, with lows reaching around 20.

Winds are expected to die down during Wednesday, and on Thursday, highs will be in the high 40s and lows around 35, with an 80 percent chance of rain expected.

Friday will be sunny with highs in the low 40s, with temperatures much colder again over the weekend.

Saturday’s high is not expected to be higher than 30, with lows around 15.

Sunday will be a bit warmer, with highs around 40 and lows around 25.

Pope HS student killed in single-car crash in Woodstock

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A Pope High School student and another teen were killed Tuesday night in a single-car crash in Woodstock, according to the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office.Pope HS student killed in Woodstock crash

Gabriel Escandon, 17, a senior at Pope, was pronounced dead on the scene of the crash, which took place after 8 p.m.  Tuesday on Towne Lake Parkway near Towne Lake Hills East, the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities said a Mazda 6 with five people—all of them teenagers—left the road and crashed into a tree in the median. The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office said that Esteban Cortez-Rendon of Woodstock, who turned 18 on Tuesday, also died after being rushed to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.

The three other occupants of the vehicle were not identified. They included a 17-year-old from Marietta and the driver, 18, from Smyrna, and an 18-year-old from Oklahoma, who were seriously injured and are hospitalized.

Escandon was a member of the boys varsity soccer team at Pope.

Pope principal Matthew Bradford sent out a note to the school community about Escandon’s death:

“It is with great sadness that I share with you the passing of Senior Gabriel Escandon who attended our school. This young man was very involved in the Pope High School community through sports and academics. This will be a great loss to all who knew him. Please keep this Pope High School family and our community in your thoughts in the upcoming weeks.”

He also provided ideas for parents to help their children with grief,  including contacting the Pope counseling office, as well as community crisis resources.

A Cobb County School District spokeswoman issued the following statement Wednesday afternoon:

“Our hearts are broken today following the news that Cobb students were involved in a tragic car accident. Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and entire school community of the student who passed away and the students who are being cared for in the hospital. Additional school counselors are on site to support students and staff. The families ask that the media give them, and our schools, time to grieve. No further details are currently available, please continue to direct questions to the Communications Department.”

The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office said speed may be a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.

 

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Banks won’t seek re-election to Cobb school board in 2024

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After saying for several months he had not decided on whether to seek a fifth term to the Cobb Board of Education, Post 5 member David Banks made his retirement from that position official Sunday.

Banks sent via his newsletter a letter he wrote to Cobb Republican Party chairwoman Salleigh Grubbs that he won’t be candidate for the East Cobb post he has served since 2009.

He didn’t give a reason in the letter, although he has cited in previous interviews with East Cobb News (here and here) and other media outlets his age.

Two candidates in the Walton High School cluster—Republican John Cristadoro and Democrat Laura Judge—announced last year they will be seeking the Post 5 office.

A former technology executive, Banks, who is in his early 80s, said in the letter to Grubbs that “my goal has always been to provide the best and complete education opportunities for our students that is expected by the Cobb County community. That I have supported the teachers and staff faithfully during my years as a School Board member and encouraged every school to adopt and implement S.T.E.M. programs in all schools.”

Banks, who narrowly won re-election in 2020, has been a controversial figure for much of his previous 15 years on the board.

A strong Republican conservative partisan, he has clashed with former Democratic board members Charisse Davis and Jaha Howard on racial and cultural matters, and has used his newsletter to decry COVID-19 vaccines and to referr to the illness as the “China virus.”

Banks also caught fire for social media comments disparaging the Roman Catholic Church.

He said in the letter announcing his retirement that his time in office “has been rewarding for me by giving me the opportunity to meet and know many Cobb County families and Cobb School District employees (who are the best). To support a stable school environment, for an excellent education program, and to encourage the Robotics programs in our schools.

“Hopefully my efforts has made Cobb County a better place to live and grow.”

He closed the letter to Grubbs by saying that as he ends his time in public office, “I will continue to support Republican conservative values and support the Cobb County Republican Party.”

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Sprayberry HS graduates invited to ‘Alumni Walk’ on Jan. 12

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Sprayberry High School

If you’re a Sprayberry High School graduate, you’re invited back to your alma mater next week for a final “walk-through” of the main classroom building that will soon be giving way to a new facility.

School officials have scheduled what they’re calling an “Alumni Walk” next Friday from 4-6 p.m., before the Yellow Jackets’ varsity basketball games.

In addition to the final “SWARM” there will be refreshments for the attendees.

The Sprayberry campus at Sandy Plains Road and East Piedmont Road opened in 1973, just as suburban growth in East Cobb was on the rise.

That was a year before Walton High School opened, and in recent years Walton and Wheeler have had replacement classroom buildings constructed.

Sprayberry parents lobbied for a rebuild in 2021, and it was added to the Cobb Education SPLOST VI project list that was approved by voters.

That new six-year extension of the one-percent sales tax began collections on Jan. 1, and the Cobb County School District will soon take out a $100 million loan against that tax for 2024 to begin major construction projects.

Sprayberry has been a top priority on that list, and the estimated project cost is $67 million, and will follow ongoing construction of a new Career, Technology and Agricultural Education building and a new gymnasium.

The new classroom building will have 99 classrooms, administrative and guidance offices and a learning commons.

In a recent note to the Sprayberry community, principal Sarah Fetterman aid that 39 classrooms will be moved to modular units in the school’s main parking lot, and that entrance will be closed starting in the spring semester.

Other details of rebuild logistics and a contract for the construction project are still being formalized.

A special Facebook page has been set up for updates on the rebuild.

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Cobb school district teachers, staff to get state bonus

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Teachers and staff in the Cobb County School District will be getting a one-time bonus in their next paychecks in January.

Campbell High School lockdownThat’s due to a $1,000 bonus for teachers and non-temporary workers that was pledged in December by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and funded through state coffers.

In addition, non-temporary part-time Cobb school district personnel will get a one-time bonus of $500 funded through local reserves.

Cobb Superintendent Chris Ragsdale asked for the Cobb Board of Education to approve the bonuses during a special-called organizational meeting on Wednesday.

The board approved the measure with a unanimous 7-0 vote.

Ragsdale explained that the bonuses will be included in employees’ paychecks by Jan. 19 or Jan. 24, and that they couldn’t have been done in December because of the holiday break.

Each teacher and non-temporary employee working more than half-time hours will get the $1,000 bonuses, while those working half-time or less will get the $500 bonuses.

The specific dollar-figure amounts for the locally-paid bonuses—from the Cobb school district’s general fund reserve—weren’t specified at the Wednesday meeting.

East Cobb News has left a message with the district seeking more information.

Kemp announced the statewide teacher and staff bonuses before the holidays as a means of aiding local school district’s retention efforts.

It’s part of a larger $300 million bonus program for all state employees. In includes $104 million in safety improvements at schools, with an estimated $45,000 going to each district for such things as security guards and technology upgrades.

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Cobb school board elects 2024 officers; Banks named vice chair

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David Banks, Cobb school board
David Banks has not announced whether he’ll seek re-election to a fifth term on the Cobb Board of Education in 2024.

For the fourth consecutive year, Cobb Board of Education member David Banks has been voted vice chairman.

The four-term Republican from Post 5 in East Cobb was one of four votes during the board’s annual organizational meeting Wednesday.

Randy Scamihorn, a Republican from Post 1 in North Cobb, was voted chairman, getting his vote and those of the other three GOP members who make up the board’s majority.

Banks and Scamihorn are among the three Republicans whose current terms expire in 2024, along with outgoing GOP chairman Brad Wheeler.

Banks was nominated by Democratic member Tre’ Hutchins, but he cast the only vote in favor and his motion failed.

Banks, who is in the final year of his fourth term, has said he has not decided on whether he will seek re-election, due to age and other issues.

Two parents from the Walton High School cluster—Republican John Cristadoro and Democrat Laura Judge—announced their candidacies for the Post 5 seat last year.

Qualifying for local and state races is in early March, and the Cobb school board elections figure to garner serious attention.

The board has had a 4-3 Republican majority for the last three election cycles. But Banks and Wheeler had close races in 2020.

And the Georgia legislature will be called when it convenes next week to redraw Cobb school board electoral maps that a federal judge threw out in December.

That followed a federal voting rights lawsuit, alleging dilution of minority voting strength.

In 2021, the legislature reapportioned the Cobb school board maps to push Post 6 out of East Cobb and into the Cumberland-Vinings-Smyrna area.

Post 5 was redrawn to include the Walton, Wheeler and Pope clusters, while Post 4 includes Kell, Lassiter and Sprayberry.

The legislature has until Jan. 10 to draw new maps for the 2024 elections.

The Cobb school board also approved its 2024 meeting calendar, with its first regular meetings on Jan. 18.

You can find the full schedule by clicking here.

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Federal judge orders new Cobb school board electoral maps

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Cobb Board of Education electoral maps before 2021 reapportionment (left) and after (right), with the latter maps having been thrown out in federal court.

The Georgia legislature was ordered on Thursday to draw up new electoral maps for the Cobb Board of Education by mid-January.

A federal judge in Atlanta threw out maps lawmakers approved in 2021 that were submitted by Cobb Republican lawmakers and drawn by a law firm hired by the Cobb County School District.

Those maps pushed Post 6, which had included the Walton and Wheeler high school clusters, out of East Cobb and into the Cumberland-Smyrna-Vinings area.

A group of parents and progressive advocacy groups filed a lawsuit, claiming that the new maps were racially gerrymandered and violated the U.S. Voting Rights Act.

In her ruling granting an injunction to the plaintiffs (you can read the ruling here), U.S. District Court Judge Eleanor Ross concluded that it was “substantially likely” that the 2021 maps would be declared unconstitutional.

The lawsuit, spearheaded by the Southern Poverty Law Center, claims that the redrawn posts 2, 3 and 6—all held by the current Democrats on the school board—diluted minority voting strength.

Posts, 1, 4, 5 and 7—occupied by the Republican majority—had their minority voting percentages reduced curing reapportionment, with all four posts having at least 58 percent white constituencies.

The two posts in East Cobb have the highest percentage of white populations. While Post 5 didn’t change much (going from 66.97 percent to 67.24 percent), the Post 4 difference also was noticeable, rising from 57.24 percent white to 65.56.

David Chastain, one of the four GOP members of the school board, was re-elected to a third term in Post 4 last year.

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs said that the 2021 map “bleaches the population of the northern districts,” a charge the Cobb school district has heatedly denied.

Ross gave the legislature until Jan. 10—two days after the 2024 General Assembly session begins—to draw new maps, which are considered temporary for use in the 2024 elections. The Cobb school district intends to appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking a stay of the judge’s order.

The Cobb school district was denied by Ross to join the lawsuit as a defendant, a decision that also is being appealed.

Ross also gave the plaintiffs and the defendant—the Cobb Board of Elections, which is not defending the current maps—until Jan. 12 to object to the redrawn maps, and Jan. 17 for the parties to respond to the other.

The 2024 Georgia primaries are May 21, with qualifying set for March.

Four of the seven Cobb school board posts are on the ballot in 2024, and three of them currently occupied by Republicans, including David Banks of Post 5 in East Cobb.

He hasn’t said whether he will seek a fifth term next year, but two first-time candidates announced earlier this year: Republican John Cristadoro and Democrat Laura Judge. Both are parents in the Walton cluster.

Post 5 was redrawn in 2021 to include the Walton, Wheeler and Pope clusters, while Post 4 includes the Kell, Sprayberry and Lassiter clusters.

In October, Ben Mathis, the lead attorney for the Cobb school district, accused the elections board of “a total surrender” to what he called “leftist political activists” who wanted to usurp the power of the legislature to redraw the Cobb school board maps.

That and another related message were posted on the Cobb school district website, including a charge from Mathis that the SPLC was trying “to impose their will over the Legislature, the Governor, and the voters of Cobb County.”

In a statement issued Friday through the SPLC, Sofia Fernandez Gold, associate counsel at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under the law, said the order by Ross to redraw the maps “affirms the fundamental right of Black and Latinx voters of Cobb County to fully and fairly participate in the democratic process by having an equal opportunity to elect members of their choice to the Cobb County School Board.”

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Cobb school district subject of federal civil rights probe

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The U.S. Department of Education this week launched an investigation into the Cobb County School District after receiving a complaint of what it calls “shared ancestry” discrimination.Campbell High School lockdown

Cobb joins a growing list of K-12 school districts and universities being probed since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October.

The education department’s Office of Civil Rights is investigating the complaints under Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars schools receiving federal funds from discriminating based on race, color and national origin.

Those complaints can also include harassment based on a person’s shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.

The OCR, which has been stepping up probes since mid-October at the behest of the Biden Administration, did not specify the nature of the Cobb school district investigation, which was launched on Tuesday.

East Cobb News has not received a copy of the complaint and contacted the Cobb school district seeking information.

A district spokeswoman said in a statement Thursday evening that “despite social media posts made by familiar political activists which are simply not accurate, there is no antisemitism OCR complaint against the District. We are aware of a single complaint, at a single school, that isn’t related to antisemitism. All students in Cobb should feel safe and welcomed, we do not tolerate hate of any kind.”

The Cobb school district was the subject of public complaints by Muslim and Palestinian parents shortly after the Middle East conflict began for a message that went out informing school families of an “international threat” by Hamas.

The message said that “while there is no reason to believe this threat has anything to do with our schools, parents can expect both law enforcement and school staff to take every step to keep your children safe.”

Nazia Khanzada, mother of a Cobb fifth-grader, told the Cobb school board at its Oct. 20 meeting that the school district’s message “has directly resulted in hate, harassment and bullying threats directed at Cobb’s Arabic and Muslim students and their families, including myself.”

At the same meeting, Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale replied to the criticism by saying that “the information we received required us to let the entire district and parents know we were taking the threats seriously” and that “bullying and hate of any type will not be tolerated in the Cobb County School District.”

A Jewish Campbell High School student told the Cobb school board Thursday—the first night of Hanukkah—that she’s experienced several instances of anti-Semitism and doesn’t feel safe on campus.

A Palestinian high school student also complained that she and those like her are being silenced and demanded that the district provide more resources to increase diversity and inclusivity.

The district has come under fire in recent years for how it has treated anti-Semitic acts at schools, including swastika graffiti at Pope and Lassiter high schools in East Cobb.

A number of parents and citizens have asked the district to bring back a “No Place for Hate” educational program produced for schools by the Anti-Defamation League.

The OCR also launched Title VI investigations Tuesday at Montana State University, Union College in New York, the University of Cincinnati and Tulane University in New Orleans.

A number of other notable educational institutions, including the New York City Department of Education and Harvard University, also are being probed for complaints of anti-Semitic treatment since the start of the Middle East conflict.

If the Cobb school district is found to have violated Title VI, it could be asked to submit a plan for compliance or OCR could conduct its own enforcement.

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