East Cobb Schools Archives

Sprayberry rebuild, East Cobb ES annexes on SPLOST VI list

May 20, 2021 2:32 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb schools SPLOST VI draft list

A rebuild of Sprayberry High School and annexes for several elementary schools in East Cobb are among the possible projects on a draft list for the proposed Cobb Education SPLOST VI draft list that was revealed Thursday.

During a Cobb Board of Education work session, Dr. James Wilson, a planning consultant for the Cobb County School District, outlined the major projects (as seen in the graphic above).

Referring to Sprayberry, he said that “a rebuild of major portions of that school” are needed for a 38-year-old campus whose last upgrade was a decade ago with a new auditorium.

A new career and technology building is earmarked at Sprayberry in the current SPLOST V period, but a construction timeline hasn’t been announced.

Wilson said the school board will be asked in September to approve a construction project for a new Sprayberry gym, which is included in the current SPLOST V collection period.

A parents group has been publicly pushing for a Sprayberry rebuild this spring, pointing out that other high schools in East Cobb have been recently getting rebuilds and major facilities improvements.

New annexes are proposed at Kincaid, Mt. Bethel, Murdock, Sope Creek and Tritt elementary schools in East Cobb, and an addition and modifications are being proposed for Bells Ferry Elementary School.

The draft list includes a commencement and special events center for the 112,000-student school district, a second career academy in the north Cobb area, athletic facility improvements, security and technology upgrades and the ability to build “undesignated classrooms,” where they’re needed but whose exact locations aren’t known now.

Wilson said a major emphasis of SPLOST VI—if it’s approved by Cobb voters in November—would be major infrastructure improvements at many schools and including 18 areas of work.

Details of the draft list were to be posted on the Cobb school district’s website. Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said the draft list won’t be modified much before a final list is presented in June to the Cobb school board, which will be asked to pass a resolution calling for a November referendum.

SPLOST VI would begin in 2024 and would collect a one-percent sales tax for five years, generating nearly $900 million for school facility, maintenance and technology expenses.

The draft list calls for a rebuild for the main building at Sprayberry, which relocated to the northwest intersection of Sandy Plains Road and East Piedmont Road in 1973.

“It’s not going to be the entire school,” superintendent Chris Ragsdale said, adding that language that was consistent with recent projects at Walton, Osborne, Pebblebrook and Campbell high schools.

“It’s something that at least a couple people are pleased to hear it,” said school board member David Chastain, who represents the Sprayberry attendance zone, noting the lobbying by the parents’ group that has included several rallies on campus to bring attention to their efforts.

That group has started a Facebook page called Rebuild Sprayberry High School.

When school board member David Banks asked whether possible land purchases might be considered for Sprayberry, Ragsdale said that specifics won’t be discussed publicly (acquisitions are allowed to be discussed in executive session) and that “we’re always looking” for land for school facilities throughout the county.

Rebuilds of the main buildings on the campuses of Walton and Wheeler High School in East Cobb have taken place in recent years.

Ragsdale said the Walton project was the most challenging because it has the smallest land area of any high school in the Cobb school district.

He said the district was fortunate that land adjacent to the Walton campus was available for recent purchases for a new sports complex.

Cobb school board to hold public hearing on FY 2022 budget

May 19, 2021 2:24 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb Board of Education’s monthly meetings on Thursday include a required public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2022 operating budget.

The public hearing begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, before the scheduled 7 p.m. voting meeting. The school board also will hold a public work session starting at 1 p.m.

All the meetings take place in the board’s meeting room at the Cobb County School District central office, 514 Glover St., Marietta.

All of the public meetings will be livestreamed on the district’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24An executive session is scheduled between the work session and budget hearing.

You can view the agendas for the meetings by clicking here.

Public admission in the meeting room will be limited to those individuals who have signed up for public comment.

The school board will consider a proposed FY 2022 budget of $1.5 billion that includes an employee pay raise.

The budget proposal proposes holding the line on the school district’s property tax rate of 18.9 mills and using $51 million in reserve funding to reach a balance (budget summary here).

Also projected for FY 2022, which begins on July 1, is a 5.54 percent growth in the Cobb tax digest.

The school board tentatively adopted the budget in April for the purpose of advertising public hearings.

The final public hearing and formal budget adoption is scheduled for June 10.

More Cobb school district budget and financial data can be found by clicking here, including general fund and other fund overviews and line-item details, and video presentations of previous budget presentations to the school board.

Cobb schools drop mask mandate for the fully vaccinated

May 24, 2021 5:51 PMMay 13, 2021 7:25 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb County School District announced late Thursday afternoon that fully vaccinated students and staff no longer have to wear masks or practice social distancing.

The district announcement came after the Centers for Disease Control updated its guidance for people who have been fully vaccinated.

The Cobb schools announcement states the following:

Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance;

Fully vaccinated people can refrain from testing following a known exposure unless they are residents or employees of a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter.

The announcement didn’t state whether people not wearing masks on Cobb school campuses or for related activities would have to show a proof of vaccination.

The current academic year ends in the Cobb school district on May 26.

This week the Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use for the Pfizer vaccine for ages 12-15.

The Cobb school district said that students and staff who wish to continue wearing masks may still do so, and that as “our cases are continuing to trend down and vaccinations are trending up, we fully expect to start the 2021-2022 school year with masks as optional.”

The first day of school is Aug. 2.

The Cobb school district imposed a mask mandate for all students and staff when in-person instruction began in October.

In March, several parents sued the district to drop the mask mandate, but their request for a temporary restraining order was denied last week in federal court. The lawsuit remains pending, according to Robert Madayag, one of the parent group’s attorneys.

Hightower Trail MS named Georgia winner of Vocabulary Bowl

May 13, 2021 3:11 PM by Wendy Parker

Hightower Trail MS Vocabulary Bowl

Hightower Trail Middle School was recently crowned Georgia champion of the 7th annual Vocabulary Bowl, which tested more than 1.3 million students across the country.

The contest is sponsored by Vocabulary.com, which will recognize all 50 U.S. state and 9 Canadian provincial winners with championship banners.

Hightower Trail, which came in 35th in the overall competition, was fourth last year in Georgia.

This year Pope High School of East Cobb was the Georgia runner-up after being the 2019-20 state champion.

Hightower Trail also finished 10th overall among middle schools. Here’s principal Laura Montgomery on how her students improved their Vocabulary Bowl prowess while improving their literacy skills:

“Increasing vocabulary, which aids in effective communication, is part of our daily goal of addressing 21st Century Skills as a STEM school. The students at HTMS worked hard this year to practice their vocabulary using Vocabulary.com. Throughout the year, teachers assigned practice lists related to the books we read and things we study in other classes. Students answered a variety of questions for practices involving context, definitions, and even pictures. Some students even explored and practiced additional lists related to their interests—astronomy, civil rights, and even baseball. In the end, HTMS students mastered over 113,000 words on the program! It’s impressive, mind-boggling, staggering, and awesome!”

Here’s more about the 2020-2021 Vocabulary Bowl:

Total students participating: 1,300,000+ million students
Total schools participating: 43,500+
Total words mastered: 36,600,000+
K-12 students from 50 U.S. states, U.S. territories and 9 Canadian provinces participated
Students earn points for their school by mastering words on Vocabulary.com
See the full results of this season’s Vocabulary Bowl here.

National Merit $2,500 scholarships go to 7 East Cobb students

May 12, 2021 3:13 PM by Wendy Parker

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced winners of its $2,500 Merit Scholar program, part of a continuing series of announcements this spring.

The recipients included seven high school seniors from East Cobb, and the winners from each state are judged to have “the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.”

According to the NMSC, “the number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.”

They were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors who examined academic records, including difficulty level of subjects studied

and grades earned, scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, contributions and leadership in school and community activities, an essay written by the Finalist, and a recommendation from a high school official.

The East Cobb recipients have each been awarded $2,500 scholarships from the organization’s funds:

Avi Balakirsky, Walton HS. Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering;
Shourya Jasti, Fulton Science Academy. Probable career field: Business;
David P. MacDonald, Wheeler HS. Probable career field: International Relations;
Ryan J. Meredith, Pope HS. Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering;
Cecelia E. Pumpelly, Campbell HS. Probable career field: Public Health;
William M. Shutt, Lassiter HS. Probable career field: Engineering;
Sanjay Srihari, Wheeler HS. Probable career field: Computer Science.

16 students from East Cobb schools named Georgia Scholars

May 12, 2021 3:10 PMMay 5, 2021 11:55 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

State School Superintendent Richard Woods recently announced the names of the 2021 Georgia Scholars, which includes 20 students from Cobb Schools. In total, there were only 323 graduating seniors recognized as 2021 Georgia Scholars statewide.

The Georgia Scholars from Cobb represent the following schools: Campbell High School, Harrison High School, Hillgrove High School, Kell High School, Pope High School, Sprayberry High School, Walton High School, and Wheeler High School.

Through the Georgia Scholar program, the Georgia Department of Education identifies and honors high school seniors who have achieved excellence in school and community life. Students eligible for Georgia Scholar recognition are high school seniors who exhibit excellence in all phases of school life, in community activities, and the home. Each Georgia Scholar receives a seal for their diploma.

These students have carried exemplary course loads during their four years of high school; performed excellently in all courses; successfully participated in interscholastic events at their schools and their communities; and have assumed roles in extracurricular activities sponsored by their schools. Click here for a full list of Georgia Scholar program requirements. Note that the SAT and ACT score requirement was waived this year, as some students could not take or retake these exams due to the pandemic.

“As a state, we can all draw inspiration from the resilience and determination of the class of 2021,” Superintendent Woods said. “Like their counterparts in the class of 2020, they dealt with the sudden shutdown of in-person schooling in March of last year. Then they persevered through a school year that was, of necessity, unlike any we have ever seen before – and still, they found a way to excel. I am extremely proud of each 2021 Georgia Scholar and can’t wait to see what this outstanding group of students accomplishes.”

The Georgia Scholar program is managed by GaDOE’s Excellence Recognition Office and local coordinators in each public school system and private schools throughout the state.

2021 Georgia Scholars from Cobb Schools:

Campbell High School	Ana Herndon
Harrison High School	Zoey Weir
Hillgrove High School	Erin Seagraves
Hillgrove High School	Mekai Brown
Kell High School	Meghan Hamilton
Pope High School	Madison Winston
Sprayberry High School	Allison Mawn
Walton High School	Aryn Wright
Walton High School	Ajay Nathan
Walton High School	Aden Cobb
Walton High School	Lindsay Jenson
Walton High School	Kaitlyn Talsky
Walton High School	Sheena Lai
Wheeler High School	Kaylyn Ferguson
Wheeler High School	Okezie Eze
Wheeler High School	Caroline Hugh
Wheeler High School	Matthew Norman
Wheeler High School	Aryaman Mukherji
Wheeler High School	Ishaan Chaubey
Wheeler High School	Anmol Prakash

Meet the new East Cobb school principals for 2021-22

May 5, 2021 4:34 PMMay 5, 2021 9:32 AM by Wendy Parker

new East Cobb principals — *From L-R: Kendra Brooks, Murdock ES; Dr. Hannah Polk, Hightower Trail MS; Jill Spiva, Addison ES.*

At least three public schools in East Cobb will be getting new principals for the coming 2021-22 school year, and the Cobb County School District has compiled the following profiles.

Their appointments were recently approved by the Cobb Board of Education.

Kendra Brooks will be the new principal at Murdock Elementary School, succeeding Lynn Hamblett, who is retiring.

Brooks has been an assistant principal at Sope Creek Elementary School and has been in Cobb schools for her entire 20-year educational career. In this Q and A, she describes her personal philosophy, what she calls “For Children – Through Teachers.”

Dr. Hannah Polk will be succeeding retiring principal Laura Montgomery at Hightower Trail Middle School. Like Brooks, Polk is moving from another East Cobb school, having served as an assistant principal at Simpson Middle School.

At Addison Elementary School, Susan Hallmark also has resigned, and her successor is Jill Spiva, an assistant principal at Davis Elementary School.

As a mother raising her school children in East Cobb, she discusses how she’s “thrilled to both parent and lead in this community!”

3 Cobb school board members targeted in recall effort

April 26, 2021 8:22 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb school board member Charisse Davis — *Charisse Davis represents the Walton and Wheeler clusters on the Cobb Board of Education.*

The three Cobb Board of Education members who triggered a special review of the Cobb County School District by its accrediting agency are the subjects of a recall effort just launched on social media.

On Thursday a Facebook group was started to recall Jaha Howard, Charisse Davis and Tre’ Hutchins.

They’re the board’s Democratic members who sent a letter to Cognia, the accrediting agency, in January, saying the school board’s Republican majority and school district superintendent have ignored their concerns on several academic and governance issues.

They specifically wanted the board to discuss “early literacy, educator and employee support, and board governance training,” but said they never got a reply, and the matters were never placed on the board’s meeting agenda.

The recall group, which has more than 300 people signed up, said “the actions of the 3 Cobb Board members have put our schools in a terrible place. To suggest our schools should lose their accreditation demands we recall these board members.”

One of the commenters to that group posted that they were “happy to help identify leftists who try to join the group” and another said “Bet they are DEMOCRATS!”

Sandy Burke, the group’s creator and administrator, responded that “Although they are . . . This issue goes far beyond political parties. It has been my experience that mature leaders always care more about the greater good for their community. 100% of Cobb will be negatively impacted if the schools lose their accreditation.”

The district announced the review Thursday night, and quoted Superintendent Chris Ragsdale as saying that “determinations made through a Special Review Team can negatively impact college acceptance rates, college scholarships, enrollment, funding, and educator recruitment and retention, as occurred in Clayton and DeKalb counties in 2008 and 2011. Impacts can also negatively affect a county’s economy, property values, and bond credit ratings.”

On Sunday, Davis, Howard and Hutchins took issue with parts of the district’s response.

“We find it necessary to say, contrary to what has been recently stated by the district, nowhere in Cognia’s letters does it mention ‘allegations of political disagreements’ nor ‘intra-personal (sic) behavior’ within the board of education,” they posted on their Facebook pages. “We do not know what the basis is for the district’s characterization of Cognia’s concerns. The accreditation standards under review are about the board satisfying its responsibilities, and the district adequately addressing student achievement.”

The school board has been divided largely along partisan lines over the last two years on a number of matters, including racial and equity concerns, as well as recent spending on safety products related to COVID-19.

One of Davis’ supporters commented that “accountability is often difficult to come by but it doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t happen. I applaud you for taking the necessary steps to represent your districts and to insure accountability and adherence to standards.

“You three were elected to represent and lead, not to be dismissed or silenced.”

Davis, who represents the Walton and Wheeler clusters, was elected to Post 6 in 2018, unseating Republican two-term board member Scott Sweeney. Howard also was elected in 2018 to an open seat in Post 2, which includes the Campbell and Osborne clusters.

Their elections closed the Republican majority from 6-1 to 4-3.

Davis and Howard will be up for re-election in 2022. Hutchins was elected in November to an open seat in Post 3, which is the South Cobb and Pebblebrook clusters.

Cobb schools mask mandate lawsuit shifted to federal courts

April 23, 2021 1:53 PMApril 23, 2021 9:48 AM by Wendy Parker

A lawsuit filed by parents against the Cobb County School District for its face mask mandate has been moved to the federal court system.

The district’s attorneys filed a notice of removal on Tuesday in Cobb Superior Court, where five parents had filed their lawsuit (you can read the notice and the suit by clicking here).

A hearing had been scheduled for Tuesday before Cobb Superior Court Judge James Bodiford before the notice of removal was filed.

The suit, filed on April 9, says the district’s mask mandate and contract tracing procedures violate students’ right to privacy under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, as well as the equal protection provisions of the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Another claim by the plaintiffs about “separate but equal” treatment for students unable or unwilling to wear masks is “analogous” to the Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954 that outlawed racial segregation in public schools, according to a filing by Brandon Moulard, the district’s attorney.

The lawsuit was filed against the seven members of the Cobb Board of Education and Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, who issued the mask mandate before the start of the 2020-21 school year, and seeks injunctive relief.

The suit has been shifted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, located in Atlanta.

In recent months some parents have been vocal about relaxing the mask mandate, and some spoke out at Thursday’s school board meeting.

One of them was John Hanson, the father of students in West Cobb schools and who is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

“Please give families back our freedom to be treated equal when we choose not to wear a mask,” he said during a public comment period. “Please stop the toxic policy that’s infected our school district.”

Other parents asked the board and Ragsdale to consider relaxing the mandate for the next school year, but no announcement has been made about whether the policy will continue.

In its weekly COVID-19 case update on Friday, the Cobb school district announced 107 newly confirmed cases among students and staff, the lowest since early March.

Cobb school district to undergo special review by accreditor

April 22, 2021 9:27 PMApril 22, 2021 7:50 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb County School District will undergo a special review by its accrediting agency at the request of three members of the Cobb Board of Education, who contend the board’s majority and superintendent have ignored their concerns on several academic and governance issues.

In a release issued Thursday night, the district said that Cognia, an Alpharetta-based accreditor, will conduct the special review, which centers on three matters.

In its release, the Cobb school district said that “determinations made through a Special Review Team can negatively impact college acceptance rates, college scholarships, enrollment, funding, and educator recruitment and retention, as occurred in Clayton and DeKalb counties in 2008 and 2011. Impacts can also negatively affect a county’s economy, property values, and bond credit ratings.”

Board members Charisse Davis, Jaha Howard and Tre’ Hutchins—all black Democrats—said they sent a letter in January to the full seven-member board and Superintendent Chris Ragsdale requesting a discussion on “early literacy, educator and employee support, and board governance training,” but never got a reply.

“The continued silencing of board members who would like to not only talk about positives, but also publicly address challenges, continues. The three of us remain concerned that our governing body is not adhering to the leadership standards set forth by Cognia,” read the Jan. 21 letter by the three Democratic members, which the district included in its release.

Specifically, they wanted the board to discuss the following:

enhancing our governance training by bringing in a third party to help us navigate our differences for the sake of our students and staff
specific agenda items related to teacher and staff support and safety improvements during this pandemic
specific agenda items related to the study and expansion of targeted literacy interventions

Davis, Howard and Hutchins said in their letter to Cognia that their initial letter was completely ignored.

“While there are so many great things about CCSD, such as high SAT scores and graduation rates, we are also a district that has work to do,” their letter to Cognia continued. “We are grappling with many of the same challenges as other districts, including closing opportunity gaps for students, keeping staff and students safe, and adjusting to changing demographics. The most recent data from the GaDOE reports that over 45% of our 3rd grade students are reading below.”

The Cobb school district release also included a response by Ragsdale, who sent a lengthy letter to Cognia defending the district’s record on all three issues.

Ragsdale said he was “surprised and disappointed” to have heard about the complaints, which included others from unspecified parties.

“The communication I received from Cognia centered upon allegations of political disagreements and intra-personal behavior within the board of education,” Ragsdale wrote.

“While these are serious concerns, an unscheduled Special Review seems to be a very unusual response, particularly following the extension of our accreditation and the possible adverse effects of a Special Review to the District’s students, faculty, staff, and community. Given this, the District is taking this Special Review very seriously.”

Ragsdale said the district has met board governance training standards, but did not address the Democratic members’ request for a third-party intervention.

Of the literacy issues, Ragsdale said the Cobb school district “has successfully maintained continuity of learning and support for students through a variety of strategically planned, designed and implemented initiatives,” including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He acknowledged that “we know there is room for growth and improvement in all areas, including Board governance. To that end, we have recently appointed a new interim general counsel with deep experience in accreditation and school board governance matters.”

In March, the board dismissed its longtime outside legal counsel and hired the Atlanta law firm of Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, which had an attorney presiding over the school board’s meetings Thursday for the first time.

The board governance issues figure to loom large in the special review.

Howard and Davis—who represents the Walton and Wheeler clusters—have clashed with the board’s four white Republican matters several times in their first two years in office.

In 2019, the board majority voted to ban board member comments during public meetings after Howard made remarks about non-school issues, including local and national politics.

In November, the four Republicans approved a policy change requiring a board majority to approve board member requests to place items on meeting agendas.

Davis and Howard pointed to that as evidence of being silenced. That issue, plus a vote to abolish a newly formed committee to examine school name changes, prompted Howard to accuse his Republican colleagues of “systemic racism.”

Davis and Howard also tried to press Ragsdale for details of a $12 million emergency board purchase of COVID-related safety products, including handwashing machines and UV disinfecting lights.

Hutchins joined the board in January.

In early 2019, Cognia—the successor organization to AdvancedEd and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools—extended the Cobb school district’s accreditation through 2024.

There’s not a timeline for the review, the district release said.

Cobb school superintendent proposes employee pay raise

April 22, 2021 7:35 PMApril 22, 2021 3:40 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale said Thursday that he is proposing a pay raise for all Cobb County School District employees.

During remarks at a Cobb Board of Education work session, he said employees will be getting pay raises between 4 and 8.5 percent.

The district staff on Thursday presented a proposed fiscal year 2022 budget of $1.5 billion, with tentative approval scheduled by the board Thursday night.

“In a time that not only do they need it, but also for morale,” Ragsdale said in his remarks about the proposed pay raise.

All employees—around 18,000 in all—will get a baseline 4 percent raise, with those eligible for STEP increases receiving more, depending on their status and length of service.

He said the funding would not come from “one-time money”—a reference to $182 million in new federal CARES Act funding that is coming to the Cobb school district.

“We are confident that this is going to be financially sustainable moving forward,” Ragsdale said.

Brad Johnson, the district’s Chief Financial Officer, said more budget details will be released Friday on the district’s website.

Tentative FY ’22 budget, bus purchases on Cobb school board agenda

April 21, 2021 3:11 PMApril 21, 2021 12:08 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb Board of Education will be asked Thursday to tentatively adopt a fiscal year 2022 budget in order to schedule public hearings before a formal vote in June.

That tentative approval is scheduled for Thursday’s board business meeting at 7 p.m., and also will be discussed at a board work session that starts at 2 p.m. Thursday.

(You can read the agendas for both meetings by clicking here.)

The district’s finance office included in the agenda a summary of a $1.5 billion budget request for fiscal year 2022, which begins in July 1.

However, the projected revenues in the summary total $ 1.46 billion.

The Cobb school board typically adopts budgets in May, but required public hearings have not yet been scheduled.

The scheduled date for board adoption is June 10.

Last year, the board adopted several short-term budgets until August because of uncertainty over finances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current FY 2021 budget of $1.3 billion includes using $31 million in reserve funds. That was due primarily to state education spending cuts.

The Cobb County School District gets roughly half of its funding from the state.

The school board also will be asked to approve spending $5.78 million in current Ed-SPLOST V funds to purchase 52 new school buses with air conditioning.

During the work session, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale will discuss the district’s learning recovery plan, something numerous school districts have been implementing since COVID-19.

After the work session, the board will hold an executive session.

During the night meeting, Wheeler High School students said they will be speaking during the public comment period. They will be presenting a PowerPoint about research they’ve done on the topic, and according to group member Caroline Hugh, “it will also be very timely, considering the verdict on the Derek Chauvin case.”

That’s a reference to the Minneapolis police officer who was convicted Tuesday for the murder of George Floyd last May.

The name change initiative started last summer, with those favoring the change saying Joseph Wheeler, a Confederate Civil War general, is not an appropriate namesake for what’s become one of the most diverse high schools in the county.

Parents advocating a campus rebuild for Sprayberry High School also are planning at speaking at tomorrow’s meetings.

In-person attendance at the board meetings is limited to district staff and public speakers. Both public meetings will be livestreamed here and can be seen on Comcast Cable channel 24.

Wheeler, Lassiter students earn National Merit Scholarship

April 21, 2021 3:24 PMApril 21, 2021 9:14 AM by Wendy Parker

The first of the Class of 2021 National Merit Scholarships have been announced, and two students from East Cobb are among the 1,000 recipients.

These are corporate-sponsored scholarships financed by 140 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations.

The recipients are children of company employees or residents in communities served by those companies, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage.

The scholarships range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Vishaal Kareti of Wheeler High School, who is interested in studying computer science, is the recipient of a Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Inc. compnay scholarship,

Victoria Ann Dutkiewicz, whose career field is undecided, has earned a James E. Casey Scholarship, which goes to children of United Parcel Service employees.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation will name more recipients in May, June and July.

Parents sue Cobb County School District over mask mandate

April 17, 2021 2:39 PM by Wendy Parker

Five parents with students in the Cobb County School District have filed a lawsuit against the district’s face mask mandate.

The suit, filed April 9 in Cobb Superior Court, claims that the district’s mandate, which was announced before the start of the current school year, “has arbitrarily and capriciously segregated the student population.”

The mandate, which applies to all students, teachers and other staff working on school campuses, has effectively created two “separate, but unequal” learning environments, one in-person, and one virtual, according to the lawsuit.

(You can read it here.)

The suit, which names Superintendent Chris Ragsdale and the seven members of the Cobb County Board of Education as defendants, also alleges that the district’s contact tracing procedures are an invasion of privacy and violate federal health privacy laws.

The plaintiffs—listed as Caryn Sonderman, Matt Gill, Andrei Marcu, Gretchen Brochard and Erin White—are seeking a temporary restraining order against the mandate and a hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. before Senior Presiding Judge James Bodiford in Cobb Superior Court.

Ragsdale announced the mask mandate last July, after initially saying masks would be “highly recommended.”

The plaintiffs claim that masks don’t work, saying it’s a “scientifically baseless ‘solution’ that is pure political theater and harms children in its own way.”

Affidavits signed by the plaintiffs claim their children have been adversely affected by having to wear masks when attending classes in-person.

They include a student at Walton High School whom, the lawsuit claims, has been able to attend classes on campus only a couple weeks this school year. The masks constrict the breathing of the student, who has ADHD.

Another student at Wheeler High School has found it “difficult to breathe” wearing a mask throughout the school day and “has developed cynicism at 15 years old” and distrust of adults at the school.

A kindergarten student at Timber Ridge Elementary School also has complained of not being able to breathe, according to a parental affidavit filed with the lawsuit.

The lawsuit is being filed with about a month left in the 2020-21 school year.

The Cobb school year began all-virtual in August due to high COVID-19 case figures, which prompted protests by parents. An incremental classroom return began in October.

The final days of the fall semester also went all-online in November with another case surge, but the spring semester began in hybrid fashion in January.

Some teachers and parents pleaded for an all-virtual return after three Cobb school teachers died in December and January from COVID-19.

More recently, some Cobb parents have been speaking out against the mask mandate, including the mother of four students in East Cobb schools who organized the protest against the all-virtual start to the school year.

Amy Henry told the school board last month that “we’re putting on a show and denying our children in the process” by requiring students who attend classes in person to wear masks at all times.

“They need to have a normal childhood,” she said. “We’re teaching them that they’re dirty. We’re creating a fearful environment that for these kids cannot be normal.”

Group pushing Sprayberry HS rebuild to hold campus rally

April 17, 2021 3:06 PMApril 17, 2021 12:04 PM by Wendy Parker

The “Rebuild Sprayberry High School” group we first reported on last week has already had one rally for its cause. Rebuild Sprayberry rally

Another comes on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the campus (2525 Sandy Plains Road), and it’s expected to last an hour.

Organizer Sharona Sandberg said participants will then go to the Sandy Plains-East Piedmont Road intersection and hold signs and banners for motorists to see until 5 p.m.

There’s going to be bottled water and pizza for attendees, and here are some of the ground rules if you plan to come:

If you want to park in the front of the school (there are approx. 55+ spaces up front) you need to arrive by 2:30 p.m at. the latest as we will be closing off the entrance for the Rally to begin and to serve the food.

The main parking lot (behind the school) will be open with plenty of spaces for all!

The community group is advocating for a rebuild of the 48-year-old campus if a new SPLOST referendum passes later this year.

The Cobb County School District is currently developing a tentative project list that will be finalized later in the year. Sprayberry principal Sara Griffin has submitted a request for a classroom building rebuild.

The Sprayberry advocates say their school has been overlooked when it comes to new facilities, especially compared to other East Cobb high schools. The say renovations that have taken place for many years have amounted to “lipstick on a pig,” which has inspired the t-shirts like the one above.

Sprayberry has been slated for a new gym and career training center in the current SPLOST, and an architect was approved in late 2018. But there has been no announcement about when construction will begin.

The group has organized on Facebook and will be providing further updates there on Sunday’s rally, and other activities.

As Dodgen MS teacher recovers, colleague starts fundraiser

April 8, 2021 3:07 PM by Wendy Parker

Fred Veeder, Dodgen Middle School teacher — *Dodgen Middle School teacher Fred Veeder was named Cobb teacher of the year in 2018. (ECN file)*

In 2018, Fred Veeder, a popular math teacher at Dodgen Middle School, was named the teacher of the year in the Cobb County School District.

In recent days, another math teacher at Dodgen, Kari Viland, said that Veeder has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and is “facing a long recovery.”

He’s been hospitalized twice this year, according to Viland, who has begun a fundraiser, saying that “as Fred faces this challenge, we want to clear the way for him to focus on healing rather than worrying about hospital bills and eventual lost income.”

In just a couple of days, the effort has netted more than $23,000 in contributions.

Viland said that the assistance also will include providing dog walks for Veeder’s dog, Shadow:

“Mr. Veeder, as he is known by his students and in the community, has shaped and impacted the lives of so many. His Football Frenzy, March Madness, and Pi Day are just a few of the ways he has gone above and beyond showing his students learning can be enjoyable and engaging! Many students keep in touch long after their time with him in the classroom ends. Fred has done so much for our children and community, let’s show him how much his investment means to us.”

Viland said Veeder replied that he’s “overwhelmed and blessed” by the support, which includes some former students.

Sprayberry community leaders pushing for high school rebuild

April 9, 2021 12:36 PMApril 7, 2021 3:27 PM by Wendy Parker

Sprayberry High School

As Cobb County School District officials prepare to call for a referendum this fall that would extend the education sales tax—known as Ed-SPLOST—some members of the Sprayberry High School community are advocating for a new campus.

They’ve been meeting with community members in recent weeks to organize for a rebuild of the current campus at Sandy Plains Road and East Piedmont Road.

They want a complete overhaul to be included in the next SPLOST collection period—which would start in 2024—more than 50 years after the school moved to its present location.

“They’ve done a good job in keeping it up,” community leader Shane Spink said, referring to the school district. “But it’s almost 50 years old.”

He said Sprayberry principal Sara Griffin has submitted a request for a rebuild to the Cobb school district, which is in the process of collecting requests from all schools.

SPLOST revenues pay for facilities projects, maintenance and technology upgrades.

Later this spring, the Cobb Board of Education is expected to finalize a project list for what would be the Cobb Ed-SPLOST VI.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced in March that he would be seeking a SPLOST extension with a November referendum that must be called for by the school board.

On Tuesday, Spink, of the Sprayberry Area Residents Coalition, and other leaders in the school community met with citizens this week to urge them to push for a rebuild.

The group has set up a Facebook group, “Rebuild Sprayberry High School” and will be holding a rally at the school (2525 Sandy Plains Road) on Monday at 6:30 p.m.

Sharona Sandberg, who heads up the Sprayberry Orchestra booster club, runs the Sprayberry PTSA’s annual craft fair and leads efforts for a community pantry in the area, said other East Cobb high schools have undergone major facilities upgrades, while Sprayberry has been neglected.

“My fear is if we don’t create a bit of a stink about this, we’re going to get passed over again,” said Sanderberg, whose son is a junior at Sprayberry.

Like Spink, a Wheeler graduate, she attended high school nearby, at Marietta High School, and is a fierce advocate for the community she now calls home, and where she is raising her family

“Sprayberry was considered the country school,” she said, referring to Sprayberry’s status as the oldest high school in what is now known as East Cobb.

Sprayberry initially opened in 1952 on what is now Cobb Parkway, and in space currently occupied by The Walker School, and is named after a former Cobb school superintendent

When it moved to its present campus in 1973, Sprayberry High School had what was regarded as a modern campus on one of the busiest corners in East Cobb.

A couple years later, Walton High School opened, as East Cobb began a rapid suburbanization that included the addition of Lassiter, Pope and Kell high schools.

In recent years, Walton and Wheeler have undergone complete rebuilds, while Pope has a new theatre and gymnasium. In early 2019, Lassiter christened a new gymnasium and also boasts a major performing arts center.

“Now, it just hasn’t been elevated as high,” Sandberg said of Sprayberry.

She said the current building has issues with mold, falling ceilings and other signs of age.

“It’s just yuck, it’s just old,” Sandberg said. “It looks like the 1970s. If you live in this community, you want to be proud of your school.”

Cobb school board member David Chastain, who represents the Sprayberry cluster, sympathizes, saying “it’s time to address some of the issues.”

The district is just getting SPLOST VI proposals, however, and “it’s a little early to be having a public discussion” about specific requests, he said.

“Sprayberry needs to get some love,” said Chastain, also a Wheeler graduate.

The current Cobb Ed-SPLOST V includes rebuilds of Osborne High School and major renovations in the South Cobb area. A rebuild of Eastvalley ES and a new sports complex at Walton are also to come from the current SPLOST funding.

Chastain wouldn’t speculate about whether Sprayberry is likely to get a full rebuild, but “I know there needs to be a lot of work.”

Spink has been heavily involved in efforts to redevelop the blighted Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center at the same intersection.

He’s also the father of a Sprayberry 11th grader and has two younger children in the Sprayberry cluster, and believes a new high school campus may be just as important in uplifting the community.

“I could have gone over to Pope or Walton,” he said. “We’re trying to change this community and fight to make it better.”

Cobb schools to provide state $1K teacher bonuses to staff

April 2, 2021 2:56 PM by Wendy Parker

A one-time $1,000 teacher retention bonus proposed by Gov. Brian Kemp and approved by the Georgia Board of Education will be extended to all full-time staffers in the Cobb County School District.

The district announced Friday that the state bonuses will be provided to full-time staffers, both teachers and others, during a payroll period in April.

Kemp and Georgia school superintendent announced the supplement plan in January. The state is using part of a recent federal allocation of $240 million in COVID-19 relief funding for the bonuses. Georgia school districts must allocate the bonuses to their employees by June 30.

The criteria is designed to help public school districts in Georgia retain teachers, but is not limited to them. Employees receiving the bonuses include bus drivers, custodians, school nurses, paraprofessionals, librarians, cafeteria workers, social workers, counselors and other aides.

In Cobb, the full $1,000 bonus will go to all full-time staffers who, in the words of Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, have “truly gone above and beyond during the pandemic to ensure our students achieve our One Goal.””

Cobb school district staffers who are part-time will be getting a one-time bonus of $490.

Lassiter HS goes into code yellow status after off-campus incident

April 1, 2021 6:01 PM by Wendy Parker

Lassiter High School graduation rate

Lassiter High School went into code yellow status for a while on Thursday after a student reported seeing another student with a weapon in an off-campus situation, according to the Cobb County School District.

In a message that went out to Lassiter parents Thursday afternoon, principal Chris Richie said that “we stopped all movement and secured the building until we were able to verify the student was not in the vicinity of Lassiter.”

In a code yellow situation, the outside doors to a school are closed while classes and activities continue inside.

Richie further said that “there is no reason to believe that our campus, students, or staff are in any danger.”

He did not indicate where off-campus the incident occurred; a Cobb school district spokesman also would not elaborate when contacted by East Cobb News. She said the code yellow situation was in effect at Lassiter “for a period of time” and confirmed that the weapon was a handgun.

She added that “teachers continued to teach and students continued to learn with minimal interruption to the school day while both the Cobb School Police Department and Cobb Police investigated.”

Kell HS programs get support from the Credit Union of Georgia

March 29, 2021 3:17 PMMarch 29, 2021 12:32 PM by Wendy Parker

Kell HS support Credit Union Georgia

Submitted information and photo:

Being founded by educators from Cobb County and Marietta City, the Credit Union loves to give back to local schools every year. After years of numerous sponsorships with Kell High School and their Athletics Program, the Credit Union of Georgia donated over $1,100 as a Featured Supporter of Kell High School this year. The donation will benefit students, faculty and the community through various Kell High School programs throughout the year. Some of these programs include a student awards/recognition program for good citizenship and academic performance, Academic Bootcamp Department Meal, Kell Teacher of the Month, providing free or discounted services for staff and much more.

Credit Union of Georgia was excited to partner with Kell High School and allow the school to create a better experience for students and staff alike. “Partnering with the Credit Union of Georgia was a natural fit for Kell High School. Both organizations have, at their core, a desire to serve their communities. I have had the opportunity to work with the Credit Union as a member over the past 10 years and being able to bring that same love for the community to Kell will be fantastic for both communities. The love they have for their employees is something that we try to model as well and we look forward to supporting each other.,” said Ben Needle, Kell High School Assistant Principal.

To learn more about the Kell High School’s upcoming programs visit www.Cobbk12.org/Kell.

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!

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this: