East Cobb Schools

Hightower Trail music program honored by state educators group

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Hightower Trail music program

Information and photo from Cobb County School District:

Out of all the middle school music programs across the state of Georgia, the top one calls Cobb County home. The Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) recently selected Hightower Trail Middle School as the Music Program of the Year. 

The award recognizes Hightower Trail for excellence in all facets of the school’s music program including band, chorus and orchestra.  

Hightower Trail’s five-member music faculty serves 942 students or 89 percent of the student body. The premier music program offers classes in band, chorus, orchestra, guitar, and music appreciation.

The band, chorus, and orchestra programs regularly earn Superior ratings during their large group performance evaluations, and their students consistently earn placements in District Honor and All-State ensembles. Instrumental students participate in solo and ensemble each fall. They also send two Jazz bands to the Jazz evaluation in the spring. The award-winning music department also collaborates with Hightower Trail’s art teacher to present an annual “Night of the Arts” that spotlights chamber ensembles. 

The Hightower Trail band is led by Andrew Cole, director, and Fred Norton, assistant director. 

Hightower Trail’s eighth-grade symphonic band has performed at the University of Alabama, University of Georgia MidFest three times, the Music for All-Southeastern Regional twice, the GMEA In-Service Conference three times including last year, and the Music for All National Festival. The band has also received the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award. 

Hightower Trail’s Choral Director Suzanne Logue is a 30-year member of GMEA, having served in many organizational capacities in the choral division, including State Choral Chair in 2010. She has presented at several In-Service Conferences and is an accompanist for All-State and Honor Choirs around the state.  

Directors Michael Tompkins and Paul O’Keefe oversee the orchestra program at Hightower Trail. The Chamber Orchestra has performed at the ASTA National Orchestra Festival and the 2019 GMEA In-Service Conference. The Orchestra has also received the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award. 

In addition to Hightower Trail’s recognition as the number one middle school music program in Georgia, GMEA recently recognized Christopher Ferrell as the Administrator of the Year for his work as the Cobb County School District Supervisor of Instrumental Music.

 

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Cobb Young Professionals to volunteer at McCleskey Middle School

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Cobb Young Professionals

Calling all professionals under 40, and who have some financial skills to volunteer:

There’s an opportunity to work with Cobb Young Professionals and the Communities in Schools of Marietta/Cobb County at a financial literacy seminar they’re holding at McCleskey Middle School (4080 Maybreeze Road) next Friday, Feb. 15.

It’s part of the Communities in Schools’ “Reality U” program that teaches students about fiscal well-being and academic achievement.

The session is from 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., and you can register to help them out until Tuesday. Here’s more about the program:

The one-day financial literacy and life skills event is designed to help students understand some of the “realities” involved in preparing for adulthood. Students are provided an adult scenario complete with family status, occupation and net monthly income—and will visit a variety of booths to “purchase” housing, transportation, child-care, food, utilities, etc.

Reality U helps students make a direct connection between academic success and financial stability.

Cobb Young Professionals is the professional development group of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, and is aimed at those 40 and under. Contact Rebecca Chadwick at rchadwick@cobbchamber.org or 770-859-2368, or visit www.cobbchamber.org/events for more information.

 

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ArtsBridge Foundation gala to benefit Georgia arts education programs

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Kristen Chenoweth, ArtsBridge Foundation gala

Thanks to Nicholas Wolaver for the information and photo of Kristin Chenoweth (yes, that one!) about the ArtsBridge Foundation Overture Gala on March 29 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Tickets and sponsorships are on sale for the fundraiser, with proceeds going to arts programs for K-12 students in Georgia:

The benefit is an evening of philanthropy and fun including a cocktail reception, dinner created by the venue’s Executive Chef Nicholas Walker, a “Bid-to-Give” Auction, and live musical theater performances capped by a performance by Emmy- and Tony-Award winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth.

Co-chaired by Barbarella and René Diaz and Teena and Rob Garcia of Diaz Foods and Synovus, respectively, the gala also features performances by students of Milton High School, winner in the Overall Production category of the 2018 Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards. This prestigious program, also known as The Shuler Awards, recognized Georgia students as the state’s official entrants into the National High School Musical Theatre Awards—The Jimmy Nederlander Awards.

The Overture Gala’s honorary chair is local philanthropist Valery Voyles, CEO and chair of Ed Voyles Automotive Group and former board of directors of ArtsBridge Foundation.

ArtsBridge Foundation hosts the Overture Gala—the organization’s major annual fundraiser—to gather community support for the upcoming program season, which will serve more than 30,000 K-12 students from nearly 60 Georgia counties and five neighboring states.

Funds raised through the gala’s Bid-to-Give segment will go towards the ArtsBridge Adopt-A-School Program benefiting schools and students with specific financial assistance needs.

Individual gala tickets are $350 with sponsorship packages available in the $1,000 to $25,000 range. Sponsors include Presenting Sponsor Synovus, Georgia Power, Ed Voyles Automotive, Sylvia and Bruce Dick, Scicom Infrastructure Services, Terry Chandler, and Jimmy and Helen S. Carlos. For sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, please visit www.ArtsBridgeGA.org/special-events or contact Lizzy Rhodes at 770-916-2817.

 

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Cobb schools begin issuing teacher contracts for 2019-20 school year

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The Cobb County School District announced Friday it has begun sending out the first of 8,000 teacher contracts for the 2019-20 school year. Cobb schools closed

Cobb schools said in a release that all contracts will be distributed by the end of the day on Monday.

Deputy Superintendent John Adams said Cobb schools are offering contracts to nearly 98 percent of teachers and full-time certified employees. Those also include counselors, psychologists and food service directors.

“By offering early, we can identify areas of need, hire the very best, and allow our teachers to plan for the next school year as early possible,” Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said in a statement. “We are making commitments to our teachers and a promise to our students, parents, and community that Cobb will continue to be the best place to teach, lead, and learn.”

 

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Wheeler Celeritas Racing Team preps for F1 in Schools national competition

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Wheeler Celeritas Racing Team
Wheeler Celeritas Racing Team members from L-R: Chase Waddington, Mateen Jangda, Sai Rajendrakumar and Davis Nilson. Submitted photo.

Last summer we told you about the Aeroflow Racing Team from the Wheeler Magnet School as they prepared for an international F1 competition.

Their successor is called the Celeritas Racing Team, and one of their team members, Shashaank Aiyer, got in touch to let us know that they’re prepping for the F1 in Schools National Competition in Austin, Texas from Feb. 20-23.

Shashaank tells us the Celeritas team is comprised of six juniors who’ll be taking part in a comprehensive, multidisciplinary challenge “in which teams design, analyze, manufacture, and test miniature F1 cars that are powered by compressed carbon dioxide and raced down a track.”

The Celeritas team members and their responsibilities are as follows:

  • Shashaank Aiyer, executive manager and graphic designer;
  • Chase Waddington, manufacturing engineer;
  • Jared Ryley, design engineer;
  • Sai Rajendrakumar, marketing director;
  • Mateen Jangda, financial manager;
  • Davis Nilson, resource director and web designer.

Last year’s Wheeler team won the U.S. competition and finished 15th in the global event in Singapore.

Here’s more about what’s coming up in Austin.

 

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East Cobb’s MDE School to host ‘A Gatsby Affair’ fundraiser in March

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MDE School East Cobb

Thanks to Mitchell Katz of the MDE School in East Cobb for the following information:

The MDE School of East Cobb hosts “A Gatsby Affair,” March 2, 7 to 11 p.m. at the Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta, Atlanta, GA. The event is presented by Ed Voyles Automotive Group.

The second annual event is the largest fundraiser/benefit for the MDE School, a non-profit, private school in East Cobb that serves K-12 children with varying special needs. The MDE School, the only school of its kind in Cobb County, provides an exceptional learning environment where students with special needs have access to academics, music, drama, adaptive PE, enrichment programs and life skills training. MDE serves students with Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, communication disorders, and developmental delays.

Since MDE School’s inception in 2008, enrollment has increased from 3 to 50 students from all over metro Atlanta. MDE is able to uniquely serve children with special needs who cannot be served in a traditional educational environment, and addresses each students’ learning, social, cognitive, and developmental goals allowing their students to maximize their potential.

“Words cannot express the feeling of watching the school’s growth and progress. It has truly been AMAZING! I no longer worry about my son’s well-being. I know that the teachers and staff have all the students’ best interest at heart,” says Angie Monday, a MDE parent.
The Gatsby themed evening is $100 per person for tickets. Sponsors as of printing include Ed Voyles Automotive Group, Laugh and Learn Child Development Center, Brasfield & Gorrie, Croy Engineering, Spectrum Behavioral Associates, Publix Super Markets Charities, Honest-1 Auto Care, and Ms. Donna Maslia. Sponsorships ranging from $250-$5,000 are still available.

Evening events include live roaring 20’s music by Tray Dahl & The Jugtime Ragband, heavy hors d’oeuvres, open bar, a wine pull, and live auction with prizes ranging from $20 to $2,500. The event is hosted by Dean Crownover, Georgia’s #1 Benefit Auctioneer. Proceeds from the event will directly benefit the students of MDE and will help expand academic and specialized programming, as well as the renovation of the Alexis Jarrett Memorial Playground. The playground is named in memory of MDE student Alexis Jarrett who suddenly passed away on August 14, 2018.

“Think Gatsby glitz and glam in a fun, high-energy atmosphere,” said Mindy Elkan, Executive Director for The MDE School, who said the event is projected to sell out.

“There are still opportunities to donate auction and raffle items,” said Elkan. She said you probably have something you know about or could offer as an auction item, citing examples such as your condo at the beach you could donate for a weekend, airplane tickets, pampering items such as a facial, manicure, or massage, or restaurant gift cards for a night out.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.mdeschool.org. Tickets will be available until the event sells out.

 

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Cobb school choice transfer period continues through February

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Mountain View ES, Cobb school choice transfer

Applications for the Cobb County School District’s school choice transfer program for the 2019-20 school year are being accepted for the entire month of February.

Earlier this week the district released its list of schools that have space to accept students who transfer under the HB 251 program. The following lists East Cobb schools with space, and the number of available slots:

Elementary school

  • Blackwell (117)
  • Brumby (106)
  • Davis (143)
  • Keheley (95)
  • Kincaid (19)
  • Mountain View (93)
  • Murdock (20)
  • Nicholson (77)
  • Powers Ferry (14)
  • Sedalia Park (87)
  • Shallowford Falls (110)

Middle school

  • Daniell (19)
  • Hightower Trail (31)
  • Mabry (27)
  • McCleskey (203)
  • Simpson (12)

High school

  • Kell (359)
  • Lassiter (22)
  • Sprayberry (185)

HB 251 was a law passed in 2009 that allows students in Georgia public schools to transfer under certain conditions, and where space was available (more here).

Here’s the full list of Cobb schools that have space for the 2019-20 school year. If a school is not listed, there is no space at that school at any level.

And here’s the school choice application form. The deadline is Feb. 28.

Related stories

 

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Former Pope principal named Buford school superintendent

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Robert Downs, who was a principal at Pope High School and an assistant principal at Wheeler and Sprayberry, has been named superintendent for Buford City Schools.Robert Downs, former Pope principal

The Gwinnett Daily Post reported Wednesday that Downs will start his new duties Feb. 25.

In his most recent role with the Cobb County School District, Downs has been an area assistant superintendent overseeing a cluster of middle schools, including Daniell, Dickerson, Dodgen, East Cobb, Hightower Trail, Mabry and McCleskey.

Downs came to Pope in 2012 after serving as principal at Lost Mountain Middle School, and was at the East Cobb high school for four years.

He succeeds Gaye Hamby, who resigned last August after audio recordings of him allegedly making racist comments were made public.

Buford City Schools has four schools and enrolls 4,300 students.

 

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Cobb schools and government closed Tuesday as winter storm approaches

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Cobb schools and government closed

The Cobb County School District and Cobb government both sent messages out around noon Monday that they will be closed Tuesday, due to a winter storm that’s headed to metro Atlanta and north Georgia.

Their decisions came after Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms held a joint news conference, announcing that state government in the storm area, as well as Georgia’s largest city, would be closing on Tuesday.

Other metro Atlanta governments and school districts also have announced closures for Tuesday, including Marietta City Schools.

State government offices in 35 counties, including Cobb, will be closed on Tuesday, according to Kemp.

The area is bracing for cold, wet weather starting later Monday evening and lasting through Tuesday night.

On Sunday, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch that includes Cobb.

Monday afternoon, the NWS upgraded that status to a winter storm warning, including Cobb, from 3 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Travel could be hazardous due to snow and ice accumulations, including black ice.

Cobb schools spokeswoman Nan Kiel said the following in a statement:

“Knowing that it interrupts the school day and the education process, we did not make this decision lightly. However, given that our District serves more than 112,000 students and their families, as well as 18,000 staff members, and that the safety of our students and staff are paramount, we chose to act on the side of safety.

“The District will continue monitoring the situation, with an eye towards the condition of our roads, and we’ll be sure to update the community further by 5 pm Tuesday evening.”

All events and activities scheduled at schools also have been cancelled or postponed.

Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt said the county’s shutdown will begin at 6 a.m. Tuesday, and will reopen depending on when conditions improve. County Manager Rob Hosack said in a statement:

“With a great deal of uncertainty about the timing and amount of snow, we thought this proactive action would be best to ensure the safety of Cobb County workers.”

Cobb DOT crews will be on the job overnight and into Tuesday, Cavitt said, preparing equipment and pre-treating roads starting around sunrise.

Cavitt said the crews will work in 12-hour shifts until the weather event is over, using a salt-sand mixture to treat “known trouble-spots,” especially around curves and on bridges and overpasses.

Other closings

We’re compiling closings of other schools, businesses and organizations and any cancellations or postponements of events for Tuesday. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com with your information:

  • St. Catherine’s Episcopal preschool closed;
  • Catholic Church of St. Ann closed;
  • Transfiguration Catholic Church closed;
  • Wood Acres School closed;
  • Primrose School East Cobb closed;
  • Faith Lutheran School closed;
  • Mt. Bethel Christian Academy closed;
  • Orange Theory Fitness Sandy Plains and Marietta-East Cobb opening 3:30 p.m.;
  • Thrive Wellness Center closed;
  • Mt. Zion UMC closed;
  • Wesley Chapel UMC basketball cancelled;
  • Johnson Ferry Christian Academy closed;
  • Eastside Christian School closed;
  • The Walker School closed;
  • East Cobb Tutoring Center closed;
  • Mansouri Family Dental Care closed;
  • East Cobb and NE Cobb YMCA closing at 4 p.m. Tuesday, all group exercise programs before 4 are scheduled (subject to cancelletion), all paid programs are cancelled;
  • East Cobb Business Association Community Breakfast postponed;
  • MUST Ministries program centers in Marietta, Smyrna and Canton and main donation center closed;
  • All locations Marietta Eye Clinic closed, including Marietta Eye Surgery;
  • Dentistry at East Piedmont closing at 12 p.m.;
  • Olde Towne Athletic Club closed;

Weather forecast

The forecast calls for Cobb to get around an inch of snow, with temperatures reaching as high as the low 40s during the day on Tuesday, but dropping to around 20 degrees on Tuesday night.

Monday is the five-year anniversary of a winter storm that crippled metro Atlanta, stranding thousands of motorists and forcing some students, teachers and staff to shelter overnight in schools.

Monday is also the first full day of Super Bowl-related activities in the Atlanta area.

 

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Wheeler STEM program ranked No. 2 in the country

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Wheeler STEM program
Wheeler Magnet School student Ryan Davis demonstrates his “Reactive LED Hoodie” at the school’s STEAM symposium in April 2018. (ECN file)

The Wheeler STEM program is regarded as the No. 2 STEM program in the country, according to an educational survey.

Study.com placed the Wheeler STEM program only behind Stuyvesant High School in New York City on a list of the Top 30 STEM programs in American high schools.

According to Study.com, which describes itself as an online educational resource, the Wheeler STEM program:

” . . . also [has] been recognized for their outreach in helping other schools develop STEM programs. The STEM Center offers an accelerated and advanced course of study focusing on medical biotechnology, engineering/robotics, chemical engineering and advanced chemistry. The program culminates in senior research and internships with local business and institution partners. Students have the opportunity to take twice as many math and science courses as they would in a traditional curriculum.”

The formal name for the Wheeler STEM program is the Center for Advanced Studies. It was started as a magnet program in 1997. (STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.)

In 2017 Wheeler became the first high school in Georgia to be certified as a STEAM school, which includes an arts component.

For the last six years, Wheeler also has held a STEAM symposium that reaches out to the whole student body.

Many of the other schools on the Study.com list are schools specializing in STEM programs, including the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, as well as elite private schools in the Northeast and San Francisco Bay Area.

 

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Former Kell teacher sentenced for sexual assault of student

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A former Kell High School teacher who pleaded guilty last week to sexually assaulting a student on campus will serve five years in prison.Spencer Herron

That’s the sentence that was handed down to Spencer Herron by Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert Flournoy, who also gave the former video production instructor 15 years on probation.

Court records show that Herron, 49, who was arrested on June 1, 2018, pleaded guilty last Friday to five counts of sexual assault on a student on the Kell campus.

They involved multiple sexual encounters with a female student that started in 2016, and continued through the 2017-18 school year, according to his indictment in August.

According to his sentencing document, Herron was given sex offender status by Flournoy. As a first-time offender, Herron could have his criminal record cleared if he meets the terms of his probation.

After his release from prison, he is not allowed to have any contact with minors, take up a residence with minors or contact with the victim. He also must abide by other restrictions while on probation.

Herron was a teacher at Kell for 16 years and was the school’s teacher of the year in 2016. In what turned out to be his final year as a teacher, Herron was a member of the Cobb County School District’s Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council.

 

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Cobb Schools to hold Resource Fair for students with disabilities

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Press release:

On January 28 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., more than 40 businesses, and organizations will be on site at Palmer Middle School to share information about extracurricular opportunities available for students with disabilities. Cobb County School District, Cobb schools student disability resource fair

Representatives from museums, performing arts centers, camps, sports organizations, and clubs are attending the Cobb County School District Community Connections Resource Fair to help Cobb parents learn more about the opportunities available for their students. 

Parents will be able to gather information about the accessibility options, programs, and special events offered for families of students with disabilities. Some of the attendees include the Atlanta Braves Exceptional Fans, Zoo Atlanta, Acworth Horizon League, Autism Improvised, Tellus Science Museum, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Cobb Therapeutics/Special Olympics, Georgia Ballet, Art Station-Big Shanty, NCG & Studio Movie Grill, and more. 

There will also be information about camps, classes, and sensory-friendly events.  

Parents can reserve their spot for the program by calling the Special Education Parent Mentor Office at 770-529-0046 or by registering here.  

 

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New school board member Charisse Davis to hold meeting at Dickerson MS

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On Tuesday Charisse Davis, the new Cobb Board of Education member for Post 6, will hold what she’s calling an education discussion meeting with parents at Dickerson Middle School. Charisse Davis, Cobb Board of Edcucation

The informal meeting lasts from 7-8:30 p.m. and will take place in the auditorium at Dickerson (855 Woodlawn Drive).

Earlier this month, Davis was sworn in for a four-year term after she defeated incumbent Scott Sweeney to represent Post 6, which includes the Walton and Wheeler clusters.

Davis, who had never run for public office before, is a former teacher who is now a librarian in Fulton County. She also was nominated for chair and vice chair in last week’s school board officers’ elections.

Post 6 also includes part of the Campbell High School cluster, where she lives. Her two sons attend Cobb schools in that area.

She is one of two new board members in Cobb. The other is fellow Democrat Jaha Howard, who represents Campbell and Osborne. He also will be in attendance at the Dickerson meeting.

Related story

 

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Cobb schools establish SafeSchools alert tip line

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Last fall we reported on a school safety town hall meeting at Lassiter High School at which Cobb County School District officials announced the rollout of a new safety portal called Cobb Shield.

Earlier this week, they announced another school safety measure. It’s the SafeSchools Alert tip line, and it will launch on Tuesday, when classes resume following the Martin Luther King holiday.

Students, teachers, staff and parents can contact the school district online, via text or phone and e-mail about any matter that they think might affect safety.

This information can include, but is not limited to, bullying, harassment, drugs, vandalism and threats of violence, and reports can be made anonymously. However you get in touch, you’re asked to provide the “1760” code number, which has been designated for Cobb schools.

Here’s more from what CCSD issued earlier this week about the program:

Every tip submitted through the SafeSchools Alert will be immediately logged and routed to the appropriate administrator to investigate and take appropriate action.  

The SafeSchools Alert tip line does not replace 911. For emergencies, please dial 911.  

“We are seeking information that can allow the school to better address the school climate issues that cause students anxiety or fear and are not being addressed because people are afraid to share the information,” Cobb County School District Police Officer Phil Bradford said.

“We are trying to become more aware of what is going on. We are asking for information from all quarters of the school so we can become preventive, and we can be more proactive.” 

Cobb schools said the SafeSchools tip line builds on the AlertPoint  system that’s used when there’s a safety concern within school facilities.

The district has more on its open line for student safety on its “The Inside Scoop” podcast.

Related story

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Cobb schools to borrow $90M to start new SPLOST projects

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The Cobb Board of Education voted Thursday to accept a bid from Morgan Stanley to borrow $90 million in short-term loans to begin projects on the Cobb Ed-SPLOST V construction list.Cobb County School District, Cobb schools closed Thursday, Cobb schools construction loans

The one-cent sales tax extension collection period began on Jan. 1, but Cobb County School District officials said waiting for the revenues to roll in before beginning work on new schools, renovations and technology upgrades would end up costing more due to increasing interest rates.

The $90 million will be paid back by the end of the year, at an interest rate of 1.72 percent (around $1.54 million), according to Brad Johnson, the district’s chief financial officer.

At a school board work session Thursday afternoon, he said nine financial institutions bid for the loans. Johnson said that for the loans, Moody’s Investors Service gave Cobb schools its highest credit rating, which is unrelated to its overall AAA long-term rating.

Johnson said interest rates have been rising 4-5 percent a year, so being able to start on the first batch of projects at once will enable the district to lock in construction interest rates.

“This is a good deal for us,” he said.

Cobb schools borrowed a similar amount last year for similar purposes, in closing out many SPLOST IV projects.

The district is estimating it will collect around $797 million in sales tax revenues for SPLOST V over the next five years.

Among the primary projects on the SPLOST V list (here’s the full notebook) is rebuilding and relocating Eastvalley Elementary School to the former site of East Cobb Middle School on Holt Road.

Major additions and modifications are planned for Lassiter HS (theater renovation), Sprayberry HS (CTAE building renovation), Walton HS (new tennis courts and softball field) and Wheeler HS (Magnet School renovation).

Dickerson and Dodgen middle schools are slated for major classroom additions.

The first project on the new list was approved by the school board Thursday. The district is merging Harmony Leland and Clay elementary schools in Mableton and building a new school on Factory Shoals Road at a cost of $26.8 million.

SPLOST funds also are used for technology upgrades at every school, including for security measures, and for general maintenance of facilities and equipment.

 

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Georgia teacher pay raise of $3K proposed by new Gov. Brian Kemp

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In his first State of the State address, Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday he wants to give Georgia teachers a pay raise of $3,000 a year, launch a number of school safety measures and create a statewide task force to crack down on criminal gangs.Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia teacher pay raise

Speaking in the Georgia Capitol after being sworn in earlier this week, Kemp said the teacher pay increase will cost $480 million annually, but represents “a large down payment” on his campaign pledge of funding a $5,000 year raise.

In his remarks, he noted that 44 percent of teachers in the state leave the profession in their first five years.

Kemp’s proposed fiscal year 2020 budget of $27.5 billion would also include a two percent pay raise for all state employees that would cost $120 million.

School safety measures also highlight Kemp’s first budget, following a special legislative study committee that toured the state last year.

The former Georgia Secretary of State, Kemp, a Republican, defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams in a close election in November. While Abrams, the former state House Minority Leader, won Cobb County, Kemp prevailed in most East Cobb precincts.

Kemp is proposing $69 million in one-time funds for school security grants, with all Georgia K-12 schools receiving $30,000 each. Those priorities would determined by their local school boards, administrators, teachers, parents, and students.

Kemp also wants to provide $8.4 million in additional funding for the Apex program, which addresses mental health in Georgia high schools. Georgia has been at the bottom nationally in providing funding to help students with mental health care needs.

He would spend $500,000 to form a gang task force within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that would work with local prosecutors and law enforcement agencies.

The proposal would be to use the Criminal Gang and Criminal Alien Database, to be funded with existing resources from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, to track and arrest criminal gang leaders, including drug kingpins.

Kemp also said he will pursue a state Medicaid waiver and is earmarking $1 million in the Department of Community Health’s budget to pursue possible options to the current program “that increases choices, improves quality, encourages innovation and grows access to affordable healthcare across the state.”

You can read the entire proposed budget here.

We will be adding reaction from Cobb officials when we get it.

 

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Women arrested on drug charges near Keheley Elementary School

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Keheley Elementary School, drug arrests

Two women were arrested on Tuesday night on drug-related charges near Keheley Elementary School in Northeast Cobb.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, Brenda Craver, 63, and Latricia Patton, 40, were taken into custody at 4263 Keheley Road, located around the corner from the school on Keheley Drive.

Craver, of an Acworth address, is facing three felonies, including possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute and possession of a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of an elementary school. Her bond is $27,720, according to jail records.

Patton, of a Keheley Road address, is charged with possession of methamphetamine and several misdemeanor drug counts, and her bond is $6,820.

Both women are charged with a misdemeanor count of prowling, according to jail records, which indicate they are still in custody.

WSB-TV, which first reported the arrests, said neighbors notified the police after noticing an unfamiliar and suspicious truck at a nearby building.

East Cobb News does not publish photographs of crime suspects before their cases have gone through the legal system, and then only if they are convicted or plead guilty and are sentenced.

 

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Walton Band Garage Sale dropoff spot is at former Mattress Firm store

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Walton Band Garage Sale

Press release:

Leaders of the Walton High School Marching Raider Band have announced the location of the 2019 garage sale donations site. Now through Friday, March 8, 2019, donations may be brought to 1290 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta on Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

The 2019 garage sale will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2019 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Walton High School, 1590 Bill Murdock Rd, Marietta, GA 30062. 

Pickups are available for large loads by contacting garagesale@waltonband.org. For more information follow https://www.facebook.com/waltonbandgaragesale/ or visit www.waltonband.org/garagesale. 

The annual garage sale is one of the largest fundraisers for the 150-member marching band. Proceeds support the marching band program and help provide a high-quality experience for East Cobb students attending George H. Walton Comprehensive High School. 

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Chastain elected Cobb school board chairman after four votes

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David Chastain, Cobb school board
David Chastain is beginning his second term on the Cobb school board.

The day after celebrating the formation of a new Cobb school board, members broke down over party lines Tuesday in choosing officers for the coming year.

After four votes, Northeast Cobb Republican David Chastain was elected by a 4-3 vote over Democratic newcomer Charisse Davis, who represents part of East Cobb.

Voting with Chastain were the other Republicans on the board: David Banks of East Cobb, Randy Scamihorn of North Cobb and Brad Wheeler of West Cobb.

Davis defeated Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney in November in the Post 6 election (Walton and Wheeler). She was joined by fellow Democrats David Morgan and Jaha Howard of South Cobb.

Cobb school board policy calls for members to choose a chair and vice chair each year at their organizational meeting in January. Republicans have held a 6-1 majority in recent years, and partisan voting lines have made such a proceeding uneventful.

Chastain and Davis were deadlocked at 3-3, with two votes for Scamihorn, after the first round of voting.

Banks (Pope and Lassiter), who initially nominated Chastain, wanted to retain Wheeler, last year’s chairman, which goes against board policy. He wanted to change the policy but got no support.

The board went into recess for around 20 minutes and after reconvening, Chastain again was nominated for chairman, this time getting the other three Republican votes.

Davis was nominated by Howard, who also is newly elected. He then nominated her for vice chairman, but Wheeler was chosen by a 4-3 partisan vote.

Chastain, who represents the Kell and Sprayberry clusters, served as chairman once before during his first term. He was vice chairman last year.

The board also adopted its meeting calendar for the rest of the year. Work sessions take place at 2 p.m. and regular meetings at 7 p.m. on the same day:

  • Jan. 17
  • Feb. 13
  • March 21
  • April 24
  • May 16
  • June 20
  • July 18
  • Aug. 22
  • Sept. 19
  • Oct. 24
  • Nov. 14
  • Dec. 12
  • Jan. 16, 2020

 

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At swearing-in, Cobb school board members pledge to work together as ‘new team’

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Cobb school board members, swearing in
Taking the oath of office: Jaha Howard (L), David Chastain (second L) and Charisse Davis (R), with Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton presiding.

Surrounded by two new members of the Cobb Board of Education, David Chastain was sworn in for his second term Monday night anticipating the next few years to come.

“I feel very good about the last four years,” said Chastain, who represents the Kell and Sprayberry clusters, “and I’m very optimistic about the next four.”

As he spoke, he was looking around a meeting room at the Cobb County School District central office that was packed with well-wishers for the three individuals elected in November.

Many turned out to greet the newcomers, including Charisse Davis of Post 6, which includes the Walton and Wheeler clusters. Also joining the board Monday was Jaha Howard, who represents the Osborne and Campbell clusters.

They were sworn in by Harold Melton, the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and a 1984 graduate of Wheeler High School.

With the additions of Democrats Davis and Howard, who succeed Republicans, the Cobb school board has a 4-3 Republican majority.

Post 6 also includes a sliver of the Campbell High School area, where Davis lives. She defeated two-term incumbent Scott Sweeney and said she’s been meeting with parents and school groups in East Cobb for the last two months.

“We have a lot of work to do board,” said Davis, a former teacher who’s a librarian in Fulton County. “I want people to know that I’ve been listening to them.”

She’s having another open meeting session at Dickerson Middle School Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. It’s not a formal town hall format, she said, but a chance for parents to discuss their education concerns with her.

Chastain said he recalls that as he first joined the board four years ago, he didn’t quite understand how much of a learning curve it would entail. He said he’s been impressed with his new colleagues thus far.

“We’re a new team and bring our own diversity to the challenges we face,” Chastain said. “They’re engaged already, and as we move forward we be facing them together.”

He said he feels good about where the school district stands in terms the budget. The current fiscal year 2019 budget of $1.2 billion includes additional pay raises for employees.

“Right now we’re looking good,” he said, and felt confident the district could handle any issues that may come if interest rates go up or other financial matters arise.

Changes in the Cobb legislative delegation (now majority Democrat), as well as a new governor also will bear watching.

Getting to know her new constituents and school communities is an admittedly sizable task for Davis, but when asked if she feels overwhelmed, she smiled and said, “I’ve been a teacher.”

The board will meet Tuesday morning to elect a chair and a vice chair for the 2019 calendar year. That starts at 9 at 514 Glover St., Marietta.

Charisse Davis
“I want people to know that I’ve been listening to them,” said new school board member Charisse Davis. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

 

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