East Cobb Schools Archives

Lassiter principal: Anti-Semitic graffiti found in restrooms

September 15, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Lassiter High School graduation rate

The principal at Lassiter High School informed his school community Wednesday afternoon that anti-Semitic graffiti was found earlier this week in restrooms.

In a message that went out to Lassiter families, Dr. Chris Richie said that swastikas and “Heil Hitler” were found scrawled in two restrooms, similar to what happened last week at nearby Pope High School.

“In both locations, the deplorable symbols and language were behind stall doors,” Richie wrote in a letter that has been posted on the Lassiter PTSA Facebook page.

He said the discovery was the result of an organized effort that began Monday to monitor student activity, especially in restrooms, following the Pope incident.

Richie said Lassiter restrooms have been checked on an almost hourly basis during the school day, and that school officials are reviewing video footage and conducting an active investigation into the anti-Semitic messages. The Lassiter resource officer also has filed a report.

“I am both angered and saddened by the appearance of symbols and words of hatred in our school and community,” Richie wrote. He added:

“When hate and ignorance surface in our school, we ask that parents engage in meaningful conversations and dialogue with your children. I can cite the Cobb County School District’s Administrative Rule that these hate symbols/speech violate, and I can talk to students in the morning over the announcements about repercussions for this despicable act; however, for these disgusting acts to stop, we must all come together as a school and a community to commit that Lassiter High School will be a safe, respectful environment for all students, faculty, and staff. We must work together to teach our students to be better.”

The Lassiter letter comes as Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins, lasting from sunset Wednesday to sunset Thursday.

On Tuesday, the Cobb Board of Education announced it was delaying its scheduled monthly meetings on Thursday by a week in observance of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

Both Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb, who visited with Pope students, and the Anti-Defamation League in Atlanta said the Cobb County School District response to the Pope incident was insufficient.

The ADL issued a particularly scathing statement, saying the school board’s recent decision to ban Critical Race Theory “could tie their hands in responding to and countering incidents of hate through educational initiatives for the school community.”

Bells Ferry ES student named SagerStrong Hometown Hero

September 15, 2021September 15, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information from the Cobb County School District: Bells Ferry ES student Jensen Oliver, SagerStrong Hometown Hero

The SagerStrong Foundation recently announced that Bells Ferry Elementary student Jensen Oliver won it Hometown Hero Award. As the winner, Jensen will receive a $3500 in scholarship award made possible through a generous donation from Rand Refrigeration and individual donors.

Jensen is a pediatric cancer patient who is thriving through her fight with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Diagnosed with ALL in 2017, Jensen continues to fight hard and endure her treatment with great strength and determination. She will soon “graduate” from treatment to the survivor’s program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Read more about Jensen, her cancer story, and how she and her family are staying #SagerStrong through the fight, here. According to the SagerStrong Foundation, a special thanks to Heather Roe and Karl Kaiser for nominating Jensen for this award and contributing an additional gift to this year’s special honoree.

Jensen was honored in August at the third annual 2021 SagerStrong Foundation Stadium Fun Run at Truist Park and at the Atlanta Braves game against the San Francisco Giants. Thanks to Rand Refrigeration, Jensen will receive the scholarship gift now as inspiration and a promise for keeping strong in her fight to beat blood cancer.

“We are continually inspired by the uplifting stories that the Foundation receives for the annual SagerStrong Foundation Hometown Hero Award Program, presented by Rand Refrigeration,” said Stacy Sager, President of the SagerStrong Foundation. “We were truly blown away by the applicants this year – it was difficult to choose just one, but Jensen’s great attitude and love of life reminded us so much of Craig and his passion to do what he loved, even while in his fight. We are grateful to our partner, Rand Refrigeration, for making the scholarship possible for Jensen, and to individual donors Heather Roe and Karl Kaiser for contributing additional funds to help us make the honor even more special in 2021!”

The SagerStrong Foundation Hometown Hero Award honors a pediatric leukemia patient annually that embodies everything that the SagerStrong Foundation stands for perseverance, strength, and, above all, courage. The program was created in Craig Sager’s memory to inspire and “lift up” young patients in their fight to know that they have so many others “fighting” in their corner with them.

“We are proud to support the SagerStrong Foundation’s Hometown Hero Award program again this year and grateful to continue to give back in the communities that we serve,” said Randi Davis Minor, principal, Rand Refrigeration. “Supporting others, like Jensen, in her fight to achieve her dreams in the face of adversity and challenges is a wonderful way we can help make a difference.”

Walton, Wheeler students headline National Merit scholar lists

September 15, 2021 by Wendy Parker

The first batch of National Merit Scholarship semifinalists for the 2021-22 school year have been announced, and they include quite a few students from Walton and Wheeler High schools in East Cobb.

The full list of East Cobb students is below; here’s some background on the program, which has 16,000 semifinalists nationwide:

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million that will be offered next spring.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.

To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school offi cial must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2022. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 220 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2022 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 362,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

INDEPENDENT STUDIES AT JOHNSON FERRY

William L. Reese

LASSITER H. S.

Faaris Hussain

POPE H. S.

Patrick M. Astorga; Oluwaseminire A. Oloyede; Madeleine M. Stewart

SPRAYBERRY H. S.

Bradley Scott

WALTON H. S.

Zain M. Akram; Mark Arshavsky; Stephanie Bergman; Lawrence J. Cai; Wonho Choi; Fevin Felix; Fiona P. Guo; Sahil J. Handa; Katelyn L. Henry; Ryann A. Jacobson; Saloni Jain; Chinmay P. Joshi; Aadi Kadi; Sungwon Kim; Abhinav Kona; Abhishek Kona; Maxwell E. Leamy; Daniel Y. Liu; Vikas Malepati; Ana E. Mocklar; Cynthia Peng; Imaan A. Pirani; Neerav Ravirala; Aryan Roy; Advaith Shivaram; Jonathan Shu; Nairita S. Siddiqui; Lawrence A. Thomas; Kunling Tong; Abhay R. Vittal; Joseph M. Walter; Asad Yamin; Emma L. Zeng; Franklin S. Zhao

WHEELER H. S.

Rhea Baghel; Evan Bauer; Smera V. Bhatia; Pranav R. Devarinti; Arjun J. Dewan; Carson D. Felton; Angela M. Francis; Archishma V. Goli; Kyle A. Hampton; Samyukta S. Iyer; Sujit Iyer; William P. Jewel; Charlie J. Jin; Kavita Kar; Nelitha E. Kulasiri; Nishka Mirkhelkar; Achyutan T. Narayanan; Vijay Shastri; Chirag Shetty; Emma G. Teng; Satya S. Tetali

Cobb school board delays September meetings for Yom Kippur

September 13, 2021September 13, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb school board COVID-19

The Cobb County School District said Monday is it pushing back the Cobb Board of Education’s monthly meetings in September due to Yom Kippur, the holiest observance of the Jewish calendar.

The board’s work session and voting meeting were to have taken place Thursday, but that’s during Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Instead, those meetings will take place next Thursday, Sept. 23, at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.

Yom Kippur begins at sunset Wednesday and continues through sunset Thursday.

From a Cobb school district release Monday afternoon:

“We recognize that Yom Kippur is of vital importance to our Jewish community members and have decided to postpone our regular meeting to ensure that as many of our community members as possible can participate.”

The district’s announcement also said that “while we understand that this schedule change may cause inconvenience to some, the Board and District are committed to making our meetings as inclusive as possible.”

The change comes a few days after the Pope High School principal announced an investigation was underway following the discovery of anti-Semitic graffiti on the wall of a boys bathroom.

There were two swastikas scrawled above urinals with the words “Hail Hiter!,” and prompted a visit to the campus Friday by Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb.

The Southern Division of the Anti-Defamation League in Atlanta said on Monday that the Cobb school district’s response to the Pope incident was inadequate.

In a Friday letter to assistant superintendent Christian Suttle, ADL regional vice president Allison Padilla-Goodman was critical of the district for failing to specify the incident as being anti-Semitic.

The ADL said that letter has gone unanswered, and in a statement issued to the media, she blasted the school board’s vote in June to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory.

She said it was a decision that “could tie their hands in responding to and countering incidents of hate through educational initiatives for the school community.” More from Padilla-Goodman:

“This is a direct example of how these shortsighted, politically-driven policies will have a detrimental impact on our children — antisemitic incidents, and hate of all forms, must be called out and countered as teachable moments and through educating the school community to create equitable, inclusive environments where all students can learn and thrive.”

She also noted that Cobb has dropped a public education campaign, “No Place for Hate,” that the ADL had offered to school districts.

There will be a special school board meeting this Thursday at 2:30 p.m. for a student disciplinary matter that is closed to the public.

Pope HS vandalized with swastikas, ‘Heil Hitler’ graffiti

September 13, 2021September 11, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Pope HS swastikas

The principal at Pope High School said a full investigation is underway into a vandalism incident at the school this week that included anti-Semitic graffiti being scrawled on a bathroom wall.

The damage included swastikas and the words “Hail Hitler” written above urinals and other unspecified destruction of facilities on the Hembree Road campus.

Photos of the vandalism were posted on social media, and apparently was part of a trending activity in which students vandalize school property and boast about it on the Tik Tok application.

Pope principal Thomas Flugum sent a message to the school community on Friday that “we will hold those responsible accountable to our district policies and applicable state laws.”

He also met with Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb, who said in a message to his congregation that he spoke to students at the end of lunch periods on Friday.

Sernovitz said Flugum told him that “several students have already been identified” and that interviews are continuing with other students to get more information.

“While there are many wonderful students at Pope High School, including some of our own, there are those who perpetuate hate and still others that remain silent,” Sernovitz wrote, quoting Holocaust survivor and human rights activist Elie Wiesel, who said that “we must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

In his message, Flugum touted Pope as “a welcoming, safe and considerate community for all our students. Disturbing acts like what happened this week have no place in our district or at our school and will not be tolerated.”

The incident comes at the end of Rosh Hashanah, a celebration of the Jewish New Year, and as Yom Kippur, the solemn Day of Atonement and the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, begins at sunset Wednesday and concludes on sunset Thursday.

The Pope PTSA sent out a message Friday night saying that “we can’t begin to understand what, how, why any of this would happen at our school, seemingly all in one day, but we can use this as an opportunity to teach our children.

“Many will call these teenage pranks, but these are hate crimes – and destroying property and stealing from your school is a felony.

“We stand together with ALL of our families and will not tolerate or accept hate.”

It’s been a year since swastika and pro-Trump graffiti was scrawled on fencing and trees in an East Cobb neighborhood near Post Oak Tritt Road and Holly Springs Road.

Sernovitz and the Atlanta office of the Anti-Defamation League launched an education program that included bias training.

On Friday, Sernovitz said he’s contacted ADL again for assistance regarding the Pope incident.

In his letter, he urged his congregants to “let us remember that repentance, prayer, and tzedakah (righteous giving), can make our world a little bit better and can give us hope in the midst of the darkness and challenges that we as a Jewish community have faced and continue to face. May our actions merit being inscribed in the Book of Life for another year.”

Cobb schools report 658 COVID-19 cases; 32 at Addison ES

September 10, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Addison ES; Cobb schools COVID cases

A total of 32 active cases of COVID-19 are being reported at Addison Elementary School in Northeast Cobb, the largest number for any school this week in the Cobb County School District.

The district released its weekly COVID report on Friday, showing 658 active cases.

That’s down from the range of around 1K in each of the last three weeks, but it reflects a shortened school week due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday.

Since July 1, there have been 4,402 cases among students and staff. Addison had eight cases prior to this week, and is not the first elementary school in East Cobb with such large numbers.

For 10 days last month the entire 5th grade at East Side Elementary School went to remote learning due to an outbreak.

Rocky Mount Elementary School in Northeast Cobb has 24 active cases, more than doubling its previous cumulative total.

There are 13 cases at Lassiter High School and Dickerson Middle School is reporting 11 active cases this week.

Earlier this week the Cobb Board of Health approved a position statement urging universal masking in schools, a direct response to the Cobb school district’s masks-optional policy.

The guidance comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and includes several other provisions to combat growing numbers of cases and hospitalizations among school-age children.

Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale, a member of the board of health, abstained from voting, saying the district is following the other protocols, and indicated that “97 percent [of students and staff] are COVID-free.”

In Cobb County, the spread of COVID-19 remains high due to the Delta variant. Cobb and Douglas Public Health report that as of Thursday, there is a 14-day average of just under 800 cases per 100,000 people. “High community spread” is a two-week average of 100/100K.

Cobb Schools Foundation receives $125K in Publix gift cards

September 8, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information by the Cobb County School District:

Publix Super Markets recently named the Cobb Schools Foundation a recipient of the “Tools for Schools” campaign. Last week, Bruch Humphries, District Manager of Atlanta Central West Region, and two local store managers delivered over $125,000 in gift cards for Cobb students and teachers.

Anyone who has shopped at Publix and opted to support the Tools for School has helped Cobb students who may not have basic learning materials like pens, markers, crayons, or notebooks. In some classrooms, teachers have been known to use their own money to provide those resources. Thanks to Tools for School, teachers and students can focus on doing what’s most important—teaching and learning. Contributions through the Tools for School campaign support local charities dedicated to helping kids succeed.

“The Cobb Schools Foundation is overjoyed to receive the generosity of our local Publix shoppers. These gift cards will be distributed throughout the county to serve students in need as well as teachers who are doing all that they can to create the best learning experience for students,” shared Frank Wigington, President of Cobb Schools Foundation.

Out of the approximately 107,000 students who are enrolled in the Cobb County School District’s 112 schools, over 40% are considered economically disadvantaged. The gift cards donated by Publix will go directly towards supporting the needs of those students and teachers in the district.

For those interested in working together with the Cobb Schools Foundation to take student success to new heights, go here. The Cobb Schools Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit and is the philanthropic arm for the school district and focuses on family stabilization, learning interventions, scholarships, and career development for students.

Cobb Board of Health urges ‘universal masking’ in schools

September 7, 2021September 7, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb health board school masking

The Cobb Board of Health adopted a statement Tuesday urging schools to follow Centers for Disease Control guidance on mitigating against COVID-19, including masking of all staff, teachers and students over the age of 2.

The eight-member appointed board, called to an emergency meeting late Friday, voted 6-0 to approve what it called a “position statement” for public and private schools in the county.

The statement, read before the vote by chairwoman Dr. Carol Holtz, also encourages all eligible persons in Cobb (age 12 and older) to get vaccinated, and supports a “multi-pronged approach to protect students and staff.”

Cobb’s 14-day average of 845 cases per 100,000 people is several times above the “high community spread” threshold of 100/100K.

During the meeting, health officials noted that Cobb is experiencing “extremely high” transmission due to the Delta variant, and that pediatric case numbers and hospital admissions of children have increased dramatically.

It was clear from comments by board members and Dr. Janet Memark, the director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, that masks were the primary reason for the meeting, and especially regarding the Cobb County School District’s policy.

The health board cannot issue mandates or require policy changes.

Cobb is among the few school districts in metro Atlanta without a mandatory mask policy. Marietta City Schools mandated masks in late August.

“One child’s death is not worth not wearing masks in our schools, public and private,” health board member Wyman Pilcher III said, echoing the comments of several of his colleagues.

They included Cobb Board of Commissioners chairwoman Lisa Cupid, who called the current COVID-19 surge in the county “one of the most troubling issues of our time” that “could do grave harm to our community.”

Abstaining from voting was Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale, who emphasized during the nearly hour-long meeting that the district was following seven of the eight recommended CDC school-related protocols.

Absent from the meeting, which was viewed via Zoom by more than 800 people, was Marietta superintendent Grant Rivera.

“We are doing seven of the eight,” Ragsdale said, stressing that correct usage of masks, especially by elementary school-age children, is a challenge.

Ragsdale—who with Rivera is a member of the health board by virtue of his position—also said the statement read by Holtz was not the text he had received prior to the meeting.

After it was sent to him, he said he didn’t feel comfortable voting for something he hadn’t had a chance to read.

Ragsdale said the Cobb school district—with 107,000 students and 20,000 more teachers and staff—strongly encourages masks and vaccines, and appreciated updated quarantine provisions from Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

Since July 1, there have been 3,744 confirmed COVID-19 cases among students and staff in Cobb schools, representing 3 percent of the district’s population.

“Ninety-seven percent are COVID-free,” Ragsdale said.

For each of the last three weeks, nearly 1,000 cases have been reported in the Cobb school district, and for 10 days the entire 5th grade at East Side Elementary School in East Cobb went to remote learning due to an outbreak.

But Memark—who posted several slides with high transmission and pediatric hospitalization data—said it was important to “use as many of the tools as possible” to curtail the spread of the virus.

She said that since August, roughly 25 percent of all COVID-19 cases in Cobb have been between the ages of 5-17, as well as 136 outbreaks and four pediatric deaths.

“There is a lot of significant transmission happening in those groups,” she said.

The health board’s statement in part addressed that as follows:

“Hospitalizations in school-aged children are also the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. The fact that many of these children are not eligible to be vaccinated and have been shown to spread the virus to others has been concerning since the beginning of this school year.”

The statement—which you can read in full here—concludes:

“Each school system has their own unique challenges to meet the needs of students and faculty and we respect their authority to make the final decisions. All questions regarding school protocols should be directed to the relevant school district.”

Cobb schools report 947 COVID-19 cases for week of Aug. 30

September 3, 2021September 3, 2021 by Wendy Parker

This week’s Cobb County School District COVID-19 report shows similar numbers from recent weeks with 947 active cases.

They include double-figure cases at quite a few schools, including several in East Cobb.

They’re not as high as last week’s report of 69 active cases at Sprayberry High School, which is reporting 26 this week.

Since July 1 there have been 3,744 cases reported in the Cobb school district, both for students and staff, but the figures aren’t broken down further.

They also don’t divulge how many people are being quarantined.

What follows are active case counts at schools in East Cobb, with cumulative totals in parenthesis:

Elementary Schools

Addison 1 (12); Bells Ferry 4 (26); Blackwell 7 (29); Brumby 11 (34); Davis 12 (49); East Side 12 (118); Eastvalley 3 (18); Garrison Mill 2 (34); Keheley 7 (11); Kincaid 2 (13); Mt. Bethel 8 (33); Mountain View 8 (28); Murdock 4 (40); Nicholson 11 (24); Powers Ferry 2 (7); Rocky Mount 9 (31); Sedalia Park 2 (30); Sope Creek 19 (42); Timber Ridge 5 (12); Tritt 5 (17).

Middle Schools

Daniell 11 (35); Dickerson 13 (26); Dodgen 7 (35); East Cobb 12 (32); Hightower Trail 4 (20); Mabry 19 (40); McCleskey 22 (53); Simpson 6 (26).

High Schools

Kell 15 (38); Lassiter 11 (49); Pope 13 (33); Sprayberry 26 (146); Walton 21 (88); Wheeler 12 (60).

Pope HS graduate named 2021 Cobb schools teacher of the year

September 1, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Beth Foster, 2021 Cobb schools teacher of the year

Submitted information:

Beth Foster thought she was attending the August Board of Education meeting to be recognized as the Cobb Schools High School Teacher of the Year, but she was in for a big surprise.

Instead of solely recognizing her accomplishment as High School TOTY, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced that she had been selected as the District Level Teacher of the Year!

“Beth Foster is an example of Cobb’s high-quality educators who help students overcome obstacles and succeed in school and beyond. Teachers like her are the reason why 91% of Cobb students reach the graduation stage when they attend a Cobb high school all four years,” said Superintendent Ragsdale.

Beth Foster, a graduate of Pope High School, teaches ESOL and History/Civics classes at Osborne High School, where she has helped students succeed for 13+ years. Cobb’s Teacher of the Year has taught students from all around the world and serves as a daily encouragement to both her students and her fellow educators.

“I love teaching at Osborne because we work as a team to help our students. Every single person in our building contributes – teachers, staff, administrators, parent facilitators, department chairs, the social worker, our cafeteria staff, and academic coaches,” Ms. Foster explained.

Osborne Principal Josh Morreale describes Ms. Foster as a dynamic teacher who consistently meets the needs of all of her students. Principal Morreale also praised the District’s top teacher for building strong relationships with her students.

She maintains some of those relationships long after graduation. One of those relationships also makes up one of her favorite memories as an educator.

“It is difficult to pinpoint one favorite memory as an educator, but one that stands out is a former student who faced a lot of adversity throughout high school. He relied heavily on my husband and I for support, and he eventually went on to graduate and pursue higher education. He now owns his own business, and he has a beautiful family. It has been a joy to see him flourish,” said the veteran Osborne educator.

The success of her student epitomizes why she serves as a teacher.

“I love seeing students happy, learning, and finding success in challenging situations,” Cobb’s TOTY added.

In addition to recognizing Beth Foster, Superintendent Ragsdale and Cobb’s Board Members also congratulate Cobb’s Elementary Level TOTY, Dr. Darline Douangvilay, City View Elementary School; and Middle School Level TOTY, Michelle Gottenberg, Mabry Middle School.

Cobb schools to temporarily increase substitute teacher pay

August 31, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information from the Cobb County School District:

Substitutes in Cobb Schools will soon have an extra reason to smile when they see their paychecks. Effective September 6, substitute teachers, supply teachers, substitute nurses, and supply nurses in Cobb Schools will be eligible for pay increases temporarily through May 2022. The increase will reflect in the employees’ October 29 paycheck.

“Whether they are part-time, temporary, or full time, every Team member can change a student’s life. This raise is another example of Superintendent Ragsdale’s priority of putting CARES Act relief dollars as close to the classroom as possible,” said Chief Human Resources Officer Keeli Bowen.

The daily rate for substitute teachers in Cobb will increase to $189 temporarily, while the rate for supply teachers will increase to $212 temporarily. Both substitute and supply nurses in Cobb Schools will also see a temporary hourly rate increase by $4 per hour. For example, the hourly rate for an RN nurse supply position will increase to $27.89 temporarily.

Those interested in joining the Cobb Schools team should visit here.

Cobb Schools teacher substitutes and nurses are not the only ones this year to see a monetary thank you.

Superintendent Ragsdale recently announced a $1,200 retention bonus for all bus drivers and monitors payable in their December payroll. To be eligible for the retention bonus, each driver and monitor must be employed by September 24th.  

For specific questions related to pay and the temporary rate increases, contact Cobb Schools Human Resources Department.

Cobb schools report 1,033 COVID cases; 69 at Sprayberry HS

August 28, 2021August 27, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Sprayberry High School

After reporting nearly 1,000 new active COVID cases last week, the Cobb County School District went over that threshold with 1,033 being reported in its weekly update on Friday.

Several schools are reporting high numbers of cases this week, including Sprayberry High School in East Cobb, where there are 69 active cases, and 120 overall since July 1.

Those are the highest weekly and overall totals in the district since the new school year began.

The first two games of the Sprayberry football season have been cancelled, although an official reason for those decisions has not been announced.

The figures in Cobb, which doesn’t require mask use, are similar to those in Gwinnett, which has a mask mandate.

Gwinnett, the largest school district in Georgia with 180,000 students, reported 1,041 cases this week and 1,548 close contacts.

The Cobb school district doesn’t break down the numbers of cases between staff and students, nor does it disclose how many people are out due to quarantine policy or how many individuals are tested.

The Cobb statistics also do not indicate how many serious illnesses and hospitalizations may stem from infections at the schools.

Fifth graders at East Side Elementary School in East Cobb did virtual learning for a week and a half after an outbreak there; this week 22 more cases were reporting, for a cumulative total of 106.

At Sope Creek Elementary School there were 18 new cases reported; 17 each at McCleskey Middle School, Walton High School and Wheeler High School; 15 at Kell High School; and 14 at Lassiter High School.

Since July 1, there have been 2,797 cases reported in the Cobb school district, which has 109,000 students and 18,000 teachers and staff and is the second-largest in the state.

Cobb remains one of the few school districts in metro Atlanta that doesn’t require universal mask usage. Marietta City Schools issued a mask mandate that began this week, and as community spread metrics continued to rise.

The 14-day average of cases per 100,000 people in Cobb was nearing 800, several times above the “high community spread” threshold of 100 cases per 100,000.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health director Dr. Janet Memark sent out another urgent message Thursday, imploring the public to wear masks and get vaccinated.

“We are also seeing concerning numbers of children being infected with COVID-19,” she said. “In children 5-17 years-old, there has been a 60% increase in cases since last week, and we have seen numbers double for children aged 11-17. The number of cases and outbreaks reported in schools is also very high.”

She didn’t provide numbers on how many more cases overall are being reported for children. Memark has urged the schools to follow current CDC guidance recommending mask usage in schools.

“I know that we are all struggling through this Delta surge. For the next few weeks, I advise everyone to be cautious,” Memark said. “The virus is around you EVERYWHERE. Your best defense is getting vaccinated and wearing your masks. Until numbers come down, I would not gather in large groups. We can only get through this by working together. That being said, do what you can to keep yourselves and your families safe.”

Top Cobb law firm to draw school board reapportionment map

August 28, 2021August 25, 2021 by Wendy Parker

David Banks, Cobb school board — *David Banks is the only sitting member of the Cobb Board of Education who’s gone through a previous reapportionment process.*

The Cobb Board of Education last week voted to hire a high-profile law firm in Cobb County to draw a map of school board posts for reapportionment.

While the board’s three Democrats were in the minority of a 4-3 vote, David Banks of East Cobb, part of the four-member Republican majority, initially said he couldn’t support the hiring of Taylor English Duma LLP, based in the Cumberland area.

Banks, the only sitting board member to go through reapportionment from the 2010 Census, said at a board work session last Thursday that he didn’t think hiring a third party was appropriate and that the maps would be “whatever the legislature decides it looks like.”

But he joined his GOP colleagues later in approving the hiring of Taylor English Duma to draw the board’s political lines based on 2020 Census results.

The board will be asked later to approve a contract for Taylor English Duma after a cost estimate is determined.

(PLEASE NOTE: These lines are for the seven posts, or districts, for elected Cobb school board seats, which are determined by the Georgia General Assembly. They have no bearing on specific school attendance zones, which are drawn administratively by the Cobb County School District staff.)

Board chairman Randy Scamihorn said he wanted Taylor English Duma because of what he said was a bipartisan track record of reapportionment work. He presented no other bidders.

The Democrats objected on other grounds, saying they weren’t given much information beforehand, including how much the mapping work will cost.

They also wanted to consider additional bidders, and didn’t like that former State Rep. Earl Ehrart of West Cobb, a staunch Republican, is the CEO of Taylor English Decisions, a government and economic development consulting arm of Taylor English Duma.

Taylor English Decisions—whose staff includes noted Cobb zoning attorney James Balli and former Cobb County Manager Rob Hosack—is not involved in reapportionment matters.

Cobb school board post map — *For a more detailed view, **click here**. The area in white is the map for Marietta City Schools.*

The map forwarded to the Cobb legislative delegation from the school board would only be advisory. While Democrats hold a one-seat majority in the county delegation, the final decision on the map would come from the Republican-dominated legislature.

So how those boundaries may change figures to be a subject of intense scrutiny, given the board’s partisan divide.

Until 2018, the board held a 6-1 Republican majority. That’s when Democrats Charisse Davis and Jaha Howard were elected to seats held by Republicans.

They’ve vocally and openly clashed with the Republicans on a number of issues in their nearly three years on the board.

And both of their seats will be up in the 2022 elections, after the new map takes effect. How Post 6, represented by Davis, may change could prove worth watching.

That post includes most of the Walton and Wheeler clusters, but Davis, who lives in the Campbell High School cluster, edged Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney of East Cobb due to a high turnout in her part of the post.

Also up for election in 2022 will be the seat of Republican David Chastain of Post 4 in Northeast Cobb, which includes the Kell and Sprayberry clusters.

He’s indicating he will seek a fourth term; Howard and Davis have not announced their plans.

Democrats missed a golden chance to swing the majority in their favor with the other three Republicans on the ballot in the 2020 elections. Scamihorn won easily in Post 1 in Northwest Cobb, while Brad Wheeler foiled a Democratic challenger by fewer than 2,000 votes in his West Cobb Post 5.

So did Banks in Post 5—the Pope and Lassiter clusters—who held off Democratic newcomer Julia Hurtado by 2,639 votes to win a fourth term.

East Cobb school board post map — *Current school board maps in East Cobb—Post 4 (green), Post 5 (pink) and Post 6 (purple) and the schools included in them.*

Cobb school district sends out COVID-19 testing survey

August 24, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Among the measures Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced last week about COVID-19 protocols was a forthcoming survey for parents to gauge their interest in voluntary testing of their children.

“We believe keeping students in face to face classrooms is critical for both students and families,” the Cobb County School District said in a message issued at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The message, sent through its ParentVUE portal, indicated that the survey period would last last until 5 p.m. Thursday.

If parents agree, their children would be tested as a means of reducing “the time students are not in a face-to-face classroom.”

Only enrolling parents have access to the survey, which the district said would be part of a “local and state public health” partnership. The single question on the survey asks parents if they would participate in such a testing program for their students.

In addition to maintaining a masks-optional policy, Ragsdale said last week that the district was altering its quarantine protocols regarding close contacts. Students who are quarantining at home for three days can return after that, as long as they are asymptomatic.

That policy took effect Monday, just after the district announced 942 new active COVID-19 cases among students and staff last week, double the previous week’s total.

2021 Heisman High School scholarship applications available

August 24, 2021August 24, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The Heisman Trophy Trust opened applications for the 2021 Heisman High School Scholarship program, presented by Acceptance Insurance. The program honors hundreds of the nation’s most accomplished, community-minded high school senior athletes each year. This year, the college scholarship amounts have been doubled, increasing support for each student-athlete’s education.

“We would like to thank our partners at Acceptance Insurance for sponsoring this tremendous program which extends the Heisman prestige to the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors,” stated Michael Comerford, President of the Heisman Trust. “We are very excited to announce that we have doubled the scholarship amounts this year. We look forward to recognizing the most deserving, community-minded scholar athletes and rewarding them with additional funds to help offset their college tuition.”

The Heisman High School Scholarship program will recognize a winner from each high school in the nation that has student participation in the Program by way of application. The top male and female applicants from each state will be awarded $1,000. Among the top male and female applicants from each state, the twelve (12) most outstanding will be identified as national finalists and win at least $2,000. Of the national finalists, a male and a female winner will be selected as the winner of the $10,000 National Heisman High School Scholarship.

Community-minded scholar-athletes can learn more and apply at https://heismanscholarship.com.

By inviting students from schools across the country to share their stories of leadership and impact, the program aims to inspire all students to harness their potential, push their limits, and use their talents not only to advance their own futures but to improve the communities and world around them. Over the past 27 years, the program has honored more than 600,000 of the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors and provided over a million dollars in college scholarships to students throughout the United States.

“The values we promote at Acceptance Insurance – integrity, excellence, and service – are the values embodied by the students earning this recognition. Helping them realize their visions for stronger communities and greater achievement along with the Heisman Trophy Trust is an honor and a privilege,” says Larry Willeford, President and COO of Acceptance Insurance.

The 2021 application for The Heisman High School Scholarship program presented by Acceptance Insurance is currently open. All high school students graduating as part of the class of 2022 are encouraged to apply. The deadline to submit applications is October 19, 2021. Applicants will have the chance to win a college scholarship valued up to $10,000 and the possibility of attending and being highlighted during the ESPN televised Heisman Trophy Presentation Ceremony.

Cobb schools report nearly 1K COVID-19 weekly cases

August 20, 2021 by Wendy Parker

East Side ES 5th grade remote learning — *East Side ES has reported 84 cases of COVID-19 since the school year began, the most in the Cobb County School District.*

The day after the Cobb County School District announced quarantine policy changes and said it would maintain its masks-optional policy, nearly 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the schools.

The district’s weekly Friday update showed 942 new cases, a big jump from 569 cases a week ago. There were 185 cases during the first week of school at the start of August, during which the district “strongly encouraged” mask use and changed some other prootocls.

Since July 1, there have been 1,764 cases among students and staff in the Cobb school district, which has 109,000 students and around 13,000 staff.

The numbers at East Side Elementary School continue to mount, with 35 new cases and 84 in the three weeks since the school year began.

That’s by far the highest total in the 112-school system. East Side fifth-graders have been learning remotely since the middle of last week and were to be allowed to return to campus on Monday.

Walton High School had 33 cases this week, and there were 32 at Sprayberry High School.

Also in East Cobb, there were 15 new cases at Sedalia Park ES, Garrison Mill ES reported 14 new cases, there were 11 at East Cobb MS and Dodgen MS and 10 at Daniell MS.

On Thursday Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced new quarantine provisions for students who are identified as close contacts and whose exposure took place in school.

Those students will have to be quarantined for three days, following a new order from the Georgia Department of Public Health. They can return after those three days, as long as they are asymptomatic, and they must wear a mask on their campus for seven more days after exposure.

The policy also states the following:

“Students who are identified as a close contact where the point of exposure occurred in the school setting and are symptomatic must follow the isolation guidance contained in the close contact letter.”

More health protocols can be found here; Ragsdale also said Thursday that the district’s online learning options will be expanded for the second semester via lottery process.

He said the window for that process will open in October, and those students chosen through the lottery will be notified in November.

That doesn’t address the immediate concerns of parents who cannot switch their children from face-to-face to remote learning. That option was available last year but parents had to make their choice for the current school year in May, when COVID-19 spread was low.

Only 2,000 of the district’s students were enrolled in the Elementary Virtual Program and Cobb Online Academy for the fall semester.

Former East Cobb MS campus to be demolished by December

August 20, 2021August 20, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Former East Cobb MS demolition

The old East Cobb Middle School campus will be giving way soon for a rebuild of Eastvalley Elementary School.

As noted earlier this week, the district is planning to demolish the Holt Road buildings, and on Thursday the Cobb Board of Education approved the project by a 7-0 vote.

Marc Smith, the district’s chief technology and operations officer, said the $348,000 project is expected to be finished by Dec. 20.

A bit tongue-in-cheek, board member David Chastain, who attended the school when it was known as East Cobb Junior High School, expressed an interest in getting bricks from the demolition.

“Yes sir, we can make that happen,” Smith told Chastain, who broke out into a grin.

Board member Tre’ Hutchins, who attended East Cobb Middle School in the late 1980s, made the same request.

East Cobb Middle School opened on Holt Road in 1963, and reopened in a new venue on Terrell Mill Road in 2018, next to the relocated campus of Brumby Elementary School.

An architect for the Eastvalley rebuild project was approved by the Cobb Board of Education in February 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic, at a cost of $1.6 million.

The project is expected to cost $31.6 million, but a timetable for construction hasn’t been announced.

Cobb schools won’t impose mask mandate; revising quarantine

August 20, 2021August 19, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb keeps masks-optional policy — *Superintendent Chris Ragsdale reading a written statement about COVID-19 changes; but he said he will not mandate masks.*

Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale said Thursday night that the Cobb County School District will not issue a mask mandate, although their use is “strongly encouraged.”

His remarks came after a public comment period in which he was emotionally urged by parents to impose a mask mandate, and on the same day that Marietta City Schools said it would begin requiring masks.

Before a Cobb Board of Education meeting there also was a rally organized by parents who want a mask mandate.

Ragsdale said that some areas with mandated masks in schools have no lower COVID-19 figures than those without mandates, and that he wanted to leave it to parents to decide what is best for their families.

Applause broke out in the meeting room when he said that.

There also is not a vaccine mandate in the Cobb school district, and Ragsdale said it’s “not appropriate” to mandate that as well.

Here are more of his remarks:

“Mandatory masking is not without a cost. We recognize that there are negative impacts to school-age children properly wearing a mask during the duration of the school day. The data analysis is obviously very complex during this pandemic.

“We have made a continuous effort to allow families to have a choice, both in the type of instruction, whether it be face to face or virtual, and in the decision about what is best for their families in regards to masks. We have also encouraged vaccinations but believe it’s also a personal choice for each employee, student, and family to make based on their individual situation. At this time, I do not believe it is appropriate to mandate either decision, which would remove the ability for each family to make the best decision for them as a family.

“Some parents who spoke in favor of the mandate also wanted to be able to switch to virtual learning, an option that had not been allowed for the new school year.”

Cobb’s decision runs counter to recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which is urging indoor mask usage in schools, as well as Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

Among the parents pleading for a mask mandate was Tim Philbin, father of a fifth-grade student at Eastvalley Elementary School.

He said that “our students need in-person learning, and masks are one of the things that can keep them there.”

Ragsdale said that the district’s all-online learning environments will be expanding for a lottery for the second semester. Those are the Elementary Virtual Program (EVP) and Cobb Online Learning Academy (COLA) for middle school and high school students.

He didn’t indicate how many spaces will open, but anticipates the window for applying for the lottery to open in mid- to late October.

A Cobb school district spokeswoman told East Cobb News last week that only around 2,000 of the district’s 109,000 students are in all-online learning this year.

Unlike last year, students learning in a virtual setting are not being taught by in-person classroom teachers.

Ragsdale also said the district would be modifying its quarantine policy regarding close contacts. Students who are quarantining at home for three days can return after that, as long as they are asymptomatic.

That policy begins on Monday, Ragsdale said.

Cobb school board erupts over discussing COVID-19 issues

August 19, 2021August 19, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb school board COVID-19

Near the end of a Thursday work session, members of the Cobb Board of Education tore into one another when one of them tried to add a discussion about COVID-19 protocols to the Thursday night business meeting.

COVID-19 issues were not included on the agenda for either meeting, although most of the citizens who signed up to speak at the work session’s public comment session were there to talk about those topics.

There also was a protest planned for 6:30 p.m., a half-hour before the evening session, on the mask issue.

The arguments blew up when board chairman Randy Scamihorn asked his colleagues to approve the night meeting agenda as amended. At that point, board member Tre’ Hutchins made a motion to add a discussion item about COVID-19 protocols.

Some parents have demanded a mask mandate, and the district recently revised its quarantine protocols with the start of the school year.

Nina Gupta, the Cobb school board attorney and the meeting parliamentarian, said the board could add an agenda item if it’s considered an emergency that’s arisen since the last meeting.

Hutchins, who was attending the meeting via Zoom, said he thought the COVID-19 measures and the district’s rising case totals constituted an emergency.

*Cobb school board chairman Randy Scamihorn*

“That’s why I’m asking,” said Hutchins, one of three Democrats on the seven-member board.

But Scamihorn immediately said there’s not an emergency, and the district’s protocols have “never been presented as such.”

He denied Hutchins’ request, and board member Jaha Howard, another Democrat, asked: “Are we not in an emergency?”

Scamihorn ruled that he was out of order, then called the question and over objections announced that the vote to deny adding the COVID-19 discussion was 4-3, with the board’s four Republicans in the majority.

Hutchins objected from his remote location that “I made a motion but did not vote.”

Howard, a pediatric dentist who has clashed openly with Scamihorn several times this year, interrupted the chairman, who growled at him: “Dr. Howard, do you have no manners!”

The board then adjourned to an executive session.

Scamihorn also attempted to get his colleagues to approve the hiring of Taylor English, a Cobb law firm, to draw a map of Cobb school board posts to present for reapportionment.

The three Democrats objected, especially when Scamihorn hadn’t provided a cost estimate. So did Republican vice chairman David Banks of East Cobb, who said he didn’t think hiring a third party was appropriate and that the maps would be “whatever the legislature decides it looks like.”

Scamihorn, who said hiring the firm was only to get the process started, decided to table the measure until the evening meeting.

Cobb is one of the few school districts in metro Atlanta without a mask mandate. Earlier Thursday, Marietta City Schools announced a mask mandate starting on Monday.

But COVID-19 topic came up at the Cobb work session only from members of the public.

East Cobb resident Caryn Sonderman thanked the district for keeping masks optional, saying “you are following the science and the facts.”

Stacy Efrat of East Cobb, whose family has tested positive for COVID-19 and whose children are home in quarantine, bemoaned the lack of academic support for students who cannot be in school.

Unlike last school year, Cobb is not offering simultaneous instruction in classes and for remote students.

“You are encouraging parents to send their kids to school sick,” she said.

Connie Jackson of the Cobb County Association of Educators may have prefigured the melee at the end of the meeting when she said that in her 20 years associated with the Cobb school district, “I have never seen a debacle like [what] our current school board is.”

She was referring to a lack of respect she said some have shown to others, although she didn’t name names.

Over the last three years, Jackson said, “we have lost so many of the things that have made us great.”

She complained that “nearly half the school board”—a reference to the three Democrats in the minority—has been silenced.

In order for agenda items to be discussed at meetings, members must get a majority of their colleagues to agree.

But the Democrats could not get one of the Republicans to put COVID-19 topics on the agenda.

Instead, the board heard presentations about student outcomes, a tax abatement involving the South Cobb Redevelopment Authority and the demolition of the former East Cobb Middle School campus.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale also has the ability to bring agenda items unilaterally, but he did not mention COVID-19 protocols at the work session.

Board governance issues are among the topics that prompted a special review by Cognia, the board’s accrediting agency, earlier this week. Those results are expected to be released this fall.

You can watch the work session at this link.

Residents express concerns about Walton HS sports complex

August 19, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Walton sports complex — *A deer wanders around a former homesite on Providence Road where new Walton High School tennis courts will be located.*

After several months of trying to get information from the Cobb County School District about the proposed Walton High School sports complex, residents in neighboring subdivisions are airing their concerns publicly.

A construction contract to build tennis courts and a baseball field on nearly 20 acres of land on Providence Road and Pine Road is slated to go before the Cobb Board of Education in September.

Over the summer, the district has been developing a site plan and completing work on relocating the Walton softball team back to an on-campus location.

But residents living near the new baseball field—which is moving from its “Raider Mountain” site at the back of the Walton campus to the new venue—are worried that it’s too close to their homes.

They’ve asked the district to reconfigure the bleachers and concession stands, which they say will be built 50-70 feet from their homes. Resident Jennifer Sunderland, whose home at the end of a cul-de-sac on Mulberry Lane is among them, told East Cobb News earlier this week that she’s been told “flipping” the field is not possible.

But she said she heard Tuesday from James Wilson, a school district consultant who’s been asked to work with neighbors from Independence Square and other subdivisions, that he would try “to make this happen.”

Sunderland is scheduled to address the topic at a public comment session Thursday night before the Cobb school board.

The mother of a Dodgen Middle School student, she said she’s not against the Walton sports complex and is not used to speaking in public.

“But we fear that the current plan will greatly diminish the enjoyment of our properties and negatively affect our property values,” Sunderland said, speaking on behalf of other neighbors whom she said didn’t want to be identified.

“Receipt of our concerns have been acknowledged and neighbors including myself are awaiting detailed answers.”

Access to the baseball field would be on Pine Road, near a former homesite that has been demolished. So have two homesites near the intersection of Providence Road and Pine Road, where the tennis courts would be located.

Those demolitions, as well as the site plan work and the softball relocation project, are all part of an estimated $3 million Walton sports complex project.

But those tasks apparently were undertaken without formal funding approval by the Cobb school board. Initially, the new complex was to have housed tennis and softball facilities. Walton’s teams in those sports have played at Terrell Mill Park since 2014 to make way for a new Walton classroom building.

The district has not explained the decision to switch out the baseball and softball venues, or to proceed with some of the construction project before formal approval.

The Walton softball team is beginning its current season on the road and according to the team’s schedule, will be playing at its new venue at Raider Mountain, where the baseball field once stood, starting Sept. 7.

When East Cobb News asked the district to explain those actions, as well as the concerns of Independence Square residents, a spokeswoman said that “all available details will be provided [Thursday] during the Board meeting.”

She didn’t elaborate; the board has afternoon and evening meetings Thursday, and there is nothing on the agenda for either meeting about the Walton sports complex.

The Cobb school board approved $5.65 million in land purchases for the new Walton sports complex. Site plan renderings show that the part of the land along Bill Murdock Road, across from the main campus, won’t be developed at all.

That was part of a 20-acre tract formerly owned by Thelma McClure, who sold in November 2019 for $3 million after the Cobb school district threatened eminent domain.

In August 2020, the school board approved the purchases of 3.5 acres on Pine Road for $2 million, and 1.2 acres on Providence Road for $650,000 for the sports complex.

Shortly after that, Sunderland said the district notified nearby residents that Wilson, a former Cobb superintendent who runs Education Planners, a Marietta-based school demographics and planning firm, that he would be their contact point.

She said there have been some Zoom calls and some e-mail exchanges since then, but she said until now there’s been no response to their concerns about the baseball field.

Among the requests she said she will be asking Thursday is for the district to delay approving funding for construction “until you have written confirmation from myself that reasonable modifications and accommodations have occurred.”

Mulberry Lane, Walton sports complex — *Homes on Mulberry Lane in Independence Square would be as close as 50 feet from the new Walton baseball field.*

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