East Cobb Schools

Progressive group donates to Brumby ES for student meals

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Progressive group donates to Brumby ES for student meals
L to R: Danielle Stone, Janet Habib (Indivisible Cobb member, volunteer with Y food program), Linda Faniel (food & nutrition services manager), Fran Cameron, Valeria Hunt. Photo provided by Indivisible Cobb.

A progressive political advocacy organization that has staged anti-Trump rallies in East Cobb said it has made a financial donation to help pay for student lunches at Brumby Elementary School.

The group Indivisible Cobb said Wednesday that its $800 donation is part of an effort to “wipe out school lunch debt” that has built up among students early in the 2025-26 school year.

“With the cutbacks on food assistance programs under the Trump administration, the number of children who can no longer access free/reduced rates lunches has grown,” Indivisible Cobb said in a release, although it didn’t specify how many of those students are at Brumby.

The group said it has begun a fundraising drive “to guarantee that all Cobb County students receive a nutritional meal regardless of their circumstances. Without exception and without shame.”

The Indivisible Cobb release didn’t indicate which food program reductions its donation was addressing. The donation partially reduces a $2,000 balance at Brumby, and was collected at Indivisible Cobb events and via via cash apps from its member base of more than 2,1o0.

The release said the group “plans to continue collecting money to help pay off school lunch debts and aims to donate to other Cobb County schools as well. This effort is in conjunction with Indivisible Cobb’s ongoing program of food collections and coordinated with the East Cobb YMCA Hunger Relief Program.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) program came to an end on Tuesday as part of the Trump Administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” reductions.

Earlier this spring, a federal program was cut that brought food from local farmers to school cafeterias.

The release quoted Indivisible Cobb leadership team member Stacey Parlotto, who said that “Cobb County schools pride themselves on delivering above state average test scores and graduation rates.

“How can you expect students to focus with empty stomachs and bearing the shame of an empty luncheon tray?”

East Cobb News has left a message with Indivisible Cobb seeking more information about its fundraising efforts.

The group cited Georgia Department of Education figures that 42 percent of the more than 105,000 students in the Cobb County School District qualify for some form of free or reduced lunches.

Brumby is among the schools in the Cobb school district with a food pantry set up by MUST Ministries that provides food for students to take home.

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Cobb-Marietta marching band exhibition moved to Lassiter HS

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Lassiter Band, Tournament of Roses Parade
The Lassiter High School band will kick off the Cobb-Marietta Marching Band Exhibition at Frank Fillman Field on Oct. 13

After being held for many years at McEachern High School, the Cobb County School District’s marching band exhibition will be coming to East Cobb in October.

The CCSD-Marietta Marching Band Exhibition, as it’s formally known, will take on Monday, Oct. 13, with all 16 traditional Cobb high school bands, along with the bands from Marietta High School and Kennesaw State University.

The Cobb school district said in response to a request for information by East Cobb News that the venue change is “due to extensive renovations of Cantrell Stadium at McEachern. ”

Oct. 13 is a digital learning day for Cobb students.

The event at the Lassiter football stadium (2601 Shallowford Road) will take place in two sessions, starting at 3:15 p.m. with the Lassiter band, and concluding with the bands from Kell High School and KSU (see full schedule in flyer below).

Tickets are $7 per adult and $5 for students (ages 5-18) and can be purchased by clicking here; the tickets are good for both sessions.

The exhibition has been held since 1972 and in recent years, has been conducted at McEachern on consecutive Monday nights in early and mid-October.

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Walton leads Cobb, ranks 4th in Georgia in 2025 SAT scores

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Walton leads Cobb, ranks 4th in Georgia in 2025 SAT scores

The Class of 2025 at Walton High School turned out an overall score in the Scholastic Aptitude Test that led the Cobb County School District, and was among the best in the state of Georgia among public high schools.

According to figures released Tuesday by the Georgia Department of Higher Education, Walton seniors combined for an overall SAT “mean score” of 1260. Lassiter’s mean score of 1206 was second in Cobb, and 12th in the state.

Wheeler came in third in Cobb at 1191, and Pope was fourth at 1185.

The Cobb school district, in a release, said its overall mean score of 1116 was the best for a large school district in metro Atlanta.

The statewide average overall mean score for 2025 is 1038.

The SAT is administered every spring for seniors, who are tested on evidence-based reading and writing and math, and the maximum score is 1,600.

“Parents I talk to don’t listen to what we say, they watch what we do,” Cobb Board of Education chairman David Chastain said in a statement issued by the district.

“The highest SAT scores in the metro, a record graduation rate, graduates walking across stages straight into high-earning jobs, and scholarships. That’s what we do, year in and year out,”

For the most part, the results from East Cobb high schools and the Cobb school district are only slightly different from the Class of 2025.

Wheeler’s score in 2025 is a 24-percent increase from 2024. In 2023, Wheeler’s score was 1255, tied for first in Cobb with Walton.

Lassiter’s 1206 score also represents a 24-point improvement from last year.

Cobb’s mean of 1116 was followed by 1083 in Marietta and 1076 in Fulton County.

Walton’s 1260 overall score mean was the highest for a traditional high school in Georgia. Specialty academies, charter and magnet schools are more selective in their admissions criteria.

For example, the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, which typically outpaces all other Georgia public schools in test results, has an enrollment of around 1,200 students. Those students are chosen from a countywide lottery held by Gwinnett County Public Schools.

EAST COBB 2025 SAT BREAKDOWN

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GEORGIA TOP SAT SCORES BY SCHOOL

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Pope HS leads Cobb school district 2025 graduation rates

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Pope seniors await the graduation ceremony.
Pope’s Class of 2025 graduated to the tune of 98.2 percent in May.

Ten schools in the 17-high school Cobb County School District had graduation rates of 90 percent or higher, and four of them are in East Cobb.

The Cobb school district announced Class of 2025 graduation numbers, and Pope High School leads the pack.

Pope’s graduation rate of 98.2 percent led a Cobb school district that reported an overall rate of 89.2 percent, an all-time high. Harrison was second at 97.8 percent.

Lassiter was third at 97.3 percent and Walton was fourth at 97.2 percent.

Lassiter had been Cobb’s graduation rate leader for the last three years.

“Our record-high graduation rate of 89.2% is something the whole community can celebrate. It shows what’s possible when students work hard, teachers pour their hearts out, and families and staff stand together to support them,” Cobb Board of Education chairman David Chastain said in a district release.

“From big gains at South Cobb to steady excellence at schools like Pope, Walton, Harrison, and Lassiter—this is what happens when we stand as One Team and all invest in student success.”

The district didn’t include school-by-school results, but data released by the Georgia Department of Education show that Kell High School’s graduation rate for 2025 was 93.8 percent, at Sprayberry is was 89.4 percent and at Wheeler it was 89.4 percent.

The figures are compiled as part of what the state calls the “4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate.”

That is defined as follows:

“The number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma, divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduation class.”

The federal rate is calculated in the ninth grade, and includes even students who are enrolled only for a day.

Cobb also produces what it calls “a more complete” graduation rate, comparing the actual class sizes as they go through the 10th, 11th and 12th grades.

For 2025, Cobb said that 99.2 percent of seniors graduate who spent all four years in the district.

Cobb’s overall rate jumped by 1.3 percent in 2024, and the 89.2 percent figure is second among major school districts in metro Atlanta, trailing only Fulton (91.9 percent).

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2025 classified employees of the year at East Cobb schools

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The Cobb County School District recently honored its classified employees of the year at respective schools. Campbell High School lockdown

They include paraprofessionals, custodians, nurses, clerks and secretaries and food service workers and were honored at a luncheon on Sept. 16 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

According to the school district, more than 120 employees were “nominated by their peers for exhibiting an exemplary work ethic and a dedication to the District’s direction and goals.”

Here are the recipients at schools in East Cobb:

Elementary Schools

  • Addison: Kathryn Daniell, school secretary
  • Bells Ferry: Rosalyn Figueroa, clerk
  • Blackwell: Iris Aguilar, paraprofessional
  • Brumby: Porscha Kincaid, custodian
  • Davis: Jennifer Cockrill, paraprofessional
  • East Side: Lane Holt, paraprofessional
  • Eastvalley: Rebecca Dumbleton, paraprofessional
  • Keheley: Jeannie Schuetze, clerk
  • Kincaid: McKenzie Sanders, paraprofessional
  • Mt. Bethel: Megan McHale, paraprofessional
  • Mountain View: Gail Arkenberg, clerk
  • Murdock: Vincent Martin, custodian
  • Nicholson: Kathy Breen, school secretary
  • Powers Ferry: Jennifer Letzer, parent facilitator
  • Sedalia Park: Seemi Jamshad, paraprofessional
  • Shallowford Falls: Carmen MacDonald, custodian
  • Sope Creek: Jeffrey Groce, custodian
  • Timber Ridge: Theresa Butcher, custodian
  • Tritt: Gwendolyn Corcoran, paraprofessional

Middle Schools

  • Daniell: Shannon Thompson, paraprofessional
  • Dickerson: Vanessa Moulthrop, school nurse
  • Dodgen: Christine Bishop-Fink, paraprofessional
  • East Cobb: Noemiz Perez, food service assistant
  • Hightower Trail: Stacy Gibbs, paraprofessional
  • Mabry: Andrea Cofield, paraprofessional
  • McCleskey: Barbara Purdy, clerk
  • Simpson: Zella Oliver, custodian

High Schools:

  • Kell: John Douglass, paraprofessional
  • Lassiter: Shannon Frank, paraprofessional
  • Pope: Susan Sawyer, clerk
  • Sprayberry: Odalys Iglesias, clerk
  • Walton: Sandra Guevara Medina, head custodian
  • Wheeler: Karina Mejias-Ortiz, school secretary

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Pope HS unveils Matt Hobby Field to honor former student

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Pope HS unveils Matt Hobby Field to honor former student

Friday was the 20th anniversary of a fundraiser to benefit childhood cancer research in the memory of former Pope High School student and football player Matt Hobby.

Before the football game against Lassiter, the school announced that it was designating the sports stadium Matt Hobby Field.

Hobby died of Ewing Sarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer, in 2006, right before his graduation, and a year after the Rally Foundation had been formed to conduct childhood cancer research.Matt Hobby Game

Each year during the football season, a Pope home game is designated as a fundraiser for the Rally Foundation.

At that fundraiser, special t-shirts are sold, and a player is honored who wears Hobby’s jersey No. 70. That player is chosen before the season by coaches who “best exemplifies Matt’s qualities.”

This year, No. 70 is James Burns, and he’s wearing that shirt all season. Here are all the No. 70 recipients, starting in 2012.

“When Matt realized he would not survive cancer, he asked that money be raised for childhood cancer research so younger kids could live,” said Dean Crowe, founder and CEO of Rally Foundation, earlier this week.

“In 2005, he stood in uniform on the gridiron as the Pope community rallied around him, beginning a tradition that became the Matt Hobby Classic. Since then, 4 Quarters 4 Research has raised more than $450,000 at Pope alone and spread to schools nationwide, and it proves that Matt’s legacy of hope and generosity is still changing lives 20 years later.”

In addition to football, Pope’s soccer and lacrosse teams also compete at what is now Matt Hobby Field, along with track and field athletes.

Lassiter won the game 49-7.

To learn more about Rally Foundation, visit its website and follow on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.

Pope HS unveils Matt Hobby Field to honor former student

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Cobb school employees ‘no longer with district’ over Kirk posts

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Cobb school district employees fired over Charlie Kirk posts
Cobb school employees “should never – ever – be the cheerleaders for a school shooter,” Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said.

Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said Thursday that two employees who had been placed on administrative leave for their comments about the death of Charlie Kirk are no longer with the district.

During remarks at a Thursday Cobb Board of Education meeting, Ragsdale said the two individuals, whom he didn’t identify, “are no longer with the district.”

He didn’t say whether they were fired or resigned.

The district said Monday that an unspecified number of employees were placed on leave while it investigated allegations that they posted comments on social media “appearing to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk.”

The district also didn’t detail the messages of the post or identify the platforms where they were published.

Kirk was a conservative political activist who was shot and killed Sept. 10 while making an appearance at Utah Valley University.

Making multiple references to school shootings, Ragsdale said that “good educators must and do abhor school shootings.” While he said that “this is not in the vast majority of how Cobb school members act,” some condoned the Kirk killing in violation of district policies.

He didn’t mention what those policies were in his remarks, but the district has a social media policy for employees that also has provisions for what employees are permitted to post on their personal and social media accounts.

Among the provisions, employees are refrained from posting material that “displays inappropriate personal information, videos, or pictures that impair the employee’s professionalism and reputation” and “harms the reputation of or discredits the District.”

Ragsdale said that many of the complaints about the postings about Kirk’s murder came from other teachers, and that the ensuing investigations have been “incredibly disruptive” to the educational process.

He said teachers are committed to “a life of service, sacrificing much of one’s present for someone else’s future.” He mentioned a Virginia Tech professor who was killed during a 2007 mass shooting, as he blocked a door allowing his students to escape.

Ragsdale said that teachers “are heroes in a school shooting event. They should never, ever be the cheerleaders for a school shooting.”

The Cobb County Democratic Party on Wednesday blasted the district’s decision to place the employees on leave, saying it smacked of hypocrisy and that “Mr. Kirk’s killing has been used as an excuse by MAGA to persecute anyone who doesn’t adhere to their beliefs.”

On Thursday, Ragsdale said that the disciplinary action isn’t about political party or religious affiliation, but is “entirely a question of good and evil.”

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Eastvalley ES student qualifies for Augusta youth golf final

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Eastvalley ES student qualifies for Augusta youth golf final

Eastvalley Elementary School third-grader Finley Nelson recently won the regional qualifier for the Boys 7-9 age division of the Drive, Chip and Putt competition at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

His next step is The Masters course in Augusta for the Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals that will be played at Augusta National Golf Club in April 2026.

“I’m very excited to go to the Masters, and see it and actually get to play on it,” Finley said in a release issued this week by the Cobb County School District. “You have to be the best of the best to get there, and it’s very prestigious.”

Eastvalley principal Dr. Whitney Spooner said Finley’s accomplishments were noted on the school’s morning news update: “His classmates and teacher were so excited.”

“Eastvalley Elementary classmates cheer on Finley like a hometown hero after his regional victory.”

Calley Anderson, Finley’s homeroom teacher, said in the release that “as soon as Finley told the class he had won the regional in Florida, the class could not contain their cheers. The whole class was jumping up and down.”

His teacher and classmates also made a good luck card and poster for him.

Finley said that “I was very happy that they were all cheering for me.”

“Finley is a very thoughtful, respectful, and dependable student,” Dr. Spooner said in the release. “He is soft-spoken, but very eager to learn.”

After winning the Regional Qualifier at TPC Sawgrass, Finley secured his place in the 2026 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club, held during Masters week.

“Focused and fearless: Young golf prodigy Finley Nelson lines up his shot at TPC Sawgrass.”

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Pope HS to hold 20th Matt Hobby Classic for cancer research

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Submitted information:Pope HS to hold 20th Matt Hobby Classic for childhood cancer

This fall, two milestone anniversaries come together in the fight against childhood cancer. Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research is celebrating 20 years of funding innovative research, supporting families and advocating for better treatments. At the same time, Pope High School will host its 20th annual Matt Hobby Classic football game on Friday, September 19, at 7:00 p.m. at Pope High School, 3001 Hembree Road, Marietta, GA 30062. The annual game has supported Rally Foundation since its beginning. 

The Matt Hobby Classic honors the memory of Pope student and football player Matt Hobby, who was diagnosed in 2003 with Ewing sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that develops in and around the bones. With the encouragement of his teammates and the Pope community, Matt vowed to “STANDTOUGH” through treatment. He passed away on May 30, 2006, just days after his high school graduation. Before his passing, Matt asked his parents to keep raising money for research so that “the little kids with cancer get a chance to live.”

The Pope community, together with Matt’s family and Rally’s founder Dean Crowe, turned his request into action. In 2005, they hosted the very first 4 Quarters 4 Research (4Q4R) game, which was Rally Foundation’s first fundraiser. Buckets were passed through the stands to collect spare change in support of childhood cancer research. That event later became known as the Matt Hobby Classic. Over the past 20 years, Pope High School has raised more than $450,000 through the annual event, including more than $33,000 last year alone. The 4Q4R idea also spread to schools across the country, multiplying Matt’s legacy and fueling childhood cancer research nationwide.

Rally Foundation was founded in 2005 with the mission to fund the best research wherever it takes place. Over the last 20 years, Rally has awarded more than $40.5 million in research grants through more than 680 projects across the United States and around the world. From its first $5,000 grant in 2006 to a record-breaking $5.5 million in 2025 alone, Rally’s funding has helped advance safer, more effective treatments for kids with cancer.

“When Matt realized he would not survive cancer, he asked that money be raised for childhood cancer research so younger kids could live,” said Dean Crowe, founder and CEO of Rally Foundation. “In 2005, he stood in uniform on the gridiron as the Pope community rallied around him, beginning a tradition that became the Matt Hobby Classic. Since then, 4 Quarters 4 Research has raised more than $450,000 at Pope alone and spread to schools nationwide, and it proves that Matt’s legacy of hope and generosity is still changing lives 20 years later.”

About Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research:
Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer among children in the United States. In 2025, Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research (Rally), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, proudly celebrates 20 years of impact, dedication and progress in the fight against childhood cancer. Rally empowers volunteers nationwide to raise awareness and funds for research to find better treatments with fewer long-term side effects and, ultimately, cures. Rally received the Independent Charities Seal of Excellence and GuideStar Valued Partner seal, and according to independently audited financials’ five-year average results, 93 cents of every dollar raised supports Rally’s mission.

To learn more about Rally Foundation, visit www.rallyfoundation.org and follow Rally Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.

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Cobb Democratic Party blasts ‘unfair punishment of teachers’

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The chairwoman of the Cobb County Democratic Committee on Wednesday issued a statement blasting the Cobb County School District for placing teachers on leave for the comments they’re accused of making about the death of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.Cobb Democratic Party blasts 'Unfair Punishment of Teachers'

Essence Johnson said in a statement authorized by the party that the school district “is once again picking and choosing which employees get a pass, and which are harassed until the ends of the earth.”

The district announced Monday that it had placed an unspecified number of employees on administrative leave while it investigates allegations that they posted social media messages “appearing to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk.”

The district didn’t specify what the messages said, but indicated that the employees won’t be allowed in classroom settings while on leave, and that they could be subject to disciplinary action that could involve possible revocation of their teaching certificates.

Johnson said the Cobb school district’s decision smacks of hypocrisy, and referenced a December 2023 report in the Cobb County Courier alleging that employees in the district’s communications office had ties to a conservative Powder Springs group, American Vision.

In that report, Cobb school district chief accountability officer John Floresta—who oversees the communications staff—was quoted as saying that the district isn’t “interested in the personal or political views of any of our staff.”

“For those unfamiliar, Gary DeMar, the [American Vision] founder, supports the death penalty for people in the LGBTQ community,” Johnson said in her statement Wednesday. “Now, after two years the school system has changed its stance on the personal or political views of its staff according to a statement released on Monday about the suspension of a teacher.”

Johnson, an East Cobb resident and former Georgia legislative candidate, further stated that “make no mistake, we reject political violence, regardless of which ‘side’ it comes from. However, Mr. Kirk’s killing has been used as an excuse by MAGA to persecute anyone who doesn’t adhere to their beliefs.”

“To those hellbent on rewriting history and ratting out their neighbors over perceived slights, we urge you to stop. To Cobb County Schools, we demand you stop using our teachers as political pawns and allow them to do their jobs.”

The Cobb school district has a social media policy for employees that also has provisions for what employees are permitted to post on their personal and social media accounts.

Among the provisions, employees are refrained from posting material that “displays inappropriate personal information, videos, or pictures that impair the employee’s professionalism and reputation” and “harms the reputation of or discredits the District.”

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Cobb school employees on leave over Charlie Kirk messages

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The Cobb County School District said Monday an unspecified number of employees have been placed on administrative leave while it investigates allegations that they posted messages on social media “appearing to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk.”Campbell High School lockdown

In a release sent out Monday afternoon, the Cobb school district said the employees on leave “will not be in a classroom or interacting with students or parents while on leave. The District will complete a thorough investigation and will take appropriate personnel action. We will also report the matter to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the ethics board for Georgia educators, requesting appropriate action against their Georgia teaching license.”

The district didn’t indicate how many employees have been placed on leave, and how many are teachers. Nor did the district detail the social media messages or identify the social media platforms where they were posted.

East Cobb News left a message with the Cobb school district seeking more information, but a district spokeswoman said that “We cannot discuss personnel specifically.”

Kirk, 31, was a conservative political activist who was shot and killed in Utah last Wednesday while speaking at a college event.

His death sparked outrage from many conservatives on social media and elsewhere, including President Donald Trump, whom Kirk supported.

But the assassination also has sparked some who opposed Kirk’s politics to express comments that have prompted more controversy.

Employers are taking action against workers who have been accused of cheering Kirk’s killing. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has suspended some employees with a message from its chief executive officer.

Teachers around the country also are being suspended or dismissed for negative comments about Kirk, a junior college dropout who had strong appeal with many students.

Cobb school district media and communications director Nan Kiel said in the release that the district was informed by parents about the posts, which she said “are incredibly rare instances and do not reflect the outstanding professionalism demonstrated by the vast majority of Cobb educators daily.”

Kiel further stated that more complaints about the posts “have been received from Cobb educators, stating these behaviors are inconsistent with the professional duty educators owe their students and the Cobb community. We could not agree more. Professional educators are expected to exercise sound judgment and professionalism in and outside the classroom. ”

The Cobb school district has a social media policy for employees that also has provisions for what employees are permitted to post on their personal and social media accounts.

Among the provisions, employees are refrained from posting material that “displays inappropriate personal information, videos, or pictures that impair the employee’s professionalism and reputation” and “harms the reputation of or discredits the District.”

In its release Monday, the district said that “posts that celebrate or support the murder of an innocent person by a school shooter are unprofessional and disruptive to the school environment. We expect Cobb educators to help students learn and grow, which requires limiting disruptions to their classrooms and school. ”

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East Cobb students plant American flags for 9/11 anniversary

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East Cobb students plant American flags for 9/11 anniversary

Several schools in the East Cobb area have been festooned with American flags for the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the U.S.

Students at Kell High School planted 2,977 flags—equalling the number of people who were killed in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001—on the school’s lawn.

“A truly touching morning for all who could see this display,” said a message on the school’s Facebook page, which contains more photos.

Similarly, at Pope High School, students there placed the same number of flags on school grounds on Wednesday, so they would be seen as the school day started Thursday.

“We truly have the best students and yesterday was another powerful reminder of their compassion and commitment,” said Pope’s Facebook message, which also included more photos.

East Cobb students plant American flags for 9/11 anniversary

The same gesture was made at Walton High School:

“Every year Student Leadership Council students line the walkways and driveways with flags in honor of the victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001.”

East Cobb students plant American flags for 9/11 anniversary

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East Cobb students named National Merit semifinalists

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More than 16,000 semifinalists have been named for the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, including a number of seniors at Walton and Wheeler high schools in East Cobb. East Cobb National Merit Scholarship Program

They are competing for 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring by NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that provides financial assistance to college-bound students.

Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and another 300 business organizations, higher education institutions, and individual donors.

The process for the 2025-26 school year began earlier this year, with more than 1.3 million juniors applying. A semifinalist, according to the NMSC, “must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school offi cial, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.”

Finalists will be announced in February 2026, and “Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.”

LASSITER H. S.

  • Lucy Conway; Carter Kopp; Riley Sullivan; Alina Zhu

POPE H. S.

  • Kenneth Kim; Ishaan Marwaha; Ekansh Singh; Nyla Yarbrough

WALTON H. S.

  • Aayushmann Bhattacharyya; Anna Isabelle Cerqueira Perman; Li-Yen Chou; Sean Dalton; Thomas Ellison Cole Jamison; Maxim Le-Tu; Jung Woo Lee; Jacob Lembeck; Aditya Manabala; Aashrith Muppalla; Benjamin Norman; Dev Patel; Christina Philip; Shinjon Rafique; Jeremiah Raj; Ameen Sayeed; Aubrey Seay; Anika Thatte; Vishruthi Thiyagarajan; Logan Wicks; Alena S. Wolfe-Tham; Jerry Xu; Anna Yang

WHEELER H. S.

  • Samuel Grouchnikov; Maddic Jordan; Thilo Kalbarga; Nathan Lawson; John Leith; Madelyn McGurk; Krish Patel; Ananya Rajagopalan; Ritvik Ranjan; Mythili Shah; Vidya Sinha; Ezekiel Skeene; Jacob Thottungal; Dillan Vuong

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Lawmaker files Title IX athletics complaint against Pope HS

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State Rep. John Carson of East Cobb said he has filed a Title IX sex discrimination complaint against Pope High School’s athletics department for a policy regarding female sports eligibility.Pope softball

Carson said in a release he filed a complaint with the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, which enforces Title IX.

That’s a federal education law that bans sex discrimination in educational institutions receiving federal funding.

In his complaint, Carson said that female varsity and junior varsity basketball players were told they could not participate in other sports at the same time, but that male basketball players were not subject to the same policy.

Carson, a Republican who represents District 46 that includes Northeast Cobb, said the policy was implemented in the spring, and that he sent a written complaint to the Cobb County School District in April after hearing from parents.

“This restriction does not apply to their male counterparts, many of whom are allowed to play multiple sports simultaneously and openly without consequence,” Carson said in the release, announcing the complaint, which stems from some of the girls also wanting to play flag football (a sport in which Pope is a current state champion).

“As I said in my letter to the Cobb County School Board, please let the girls play.”

East Cobb News has left a message with the Cobb school district seeking more information, and received this vague response, which didn’t answer any of the issues raised by Carson in his complaint:

“As the school shared with families last year, athletic practices apply to all of our students, both boys and girls.

Schools across the county and metro follow a clear athletic practice: students should finish one sports season before starting another, unless both head coaches and the principal agree to an exception.

This helps protect the health of student athletes by limiting fatigue and preventing injury, especially when sports seasons overlap. Our goal is to support the health, safety, and success of every student-athlete in Cobb.”

Updated: The conservative Cobb Voice website suggested that Carson “may have cried wolf” with his complaint, and included an excerpt from an April message from Pope principal Matthew Bradford saying that female athletes can play basketball and flag football:

 “In the same way, both boys and girls have the same opportunity, schedule permitting, to try out and/or play in two sports simultaneously when seasons overlap.”

The Cobb Voice—whose contributors are not identified, opined that:

“Some are asking whether Rep. Carson is truly defending fairness or simply meddling in matters best left to educators. Local athletic policies are developed by coaches, principals, and administrators who work directly with students. By injecting politics into a process governed by local control, Carson risks overstepping his role as a state legislator.

But Cobb Board of Education member John Cristadoro, whose Post 5 in East Cobb includes the Pope cluster, posted on his Facebook page Tuesday that “Given the seriousness of such an allegation, I hope a thorough review was conducted prior to its filing. If any concerns are found to be valid, I trust the district will take the necessary steps to address and resolve them.”

He also said that “From my experience, I also believe our coaches and athletic directors across Cobb County and across Georgia, recognize the unique challenges faced by multi-sport athletes and strive to make roster decisions with student safety in mind. Pope High School has made clear to families that this commitment applies equally to all students—boys and girls alike.”

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Dodgen MS chamber orchestra to perform at The Midwest Clinic

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Dodgen MS chamber orchestra to perform at The Midwest Clinic

Submitted information and photo:

The Dodgen Middle School Chamber Orchestra recently received one of the highest honors possible—the opportunity to perform at the 2025 Midwest Clinic! The junior high musicians and their chaperones will head to Chicago during December’s Holiday Break.

“An invitation to perform at the Midwest Clinic is the highest honor any orchestra or band can receive in the nation. It is the equivalent of winning the Super Bowl,” said Dodgen Orchestra Director Ashley Culley. “We applied by audition with a recording and a video. A panel of judges chose us from hundreds of applicants based on our performance.”

The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference offers workshops, exhibits, and performances. Over 18,000 attendees come from all 50 states and more than 40 countries to participate, listen, and learn. The Midwest Clinic offers educators and students a memorable opportunity to network and enjoy all things music.

The Dodgen MS Chamber Orchestra is one of only two middle school orchestras invited to perform at the 2025 Midwest Clinic. They are the only ensemble (band or orchestra) selected from the state of Georgia this year. The Dodgen Chamber Orchestra includes 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students.

“Directors Ashley Culley and Evelyn Champion have led their orchestra programs for many years and have earned many performance honors and accolades, but this is a dream come true for these directors and their students,” said Dodgen Principal Dr. Patricia Alford. “Performing at The Midwest Clinic is a rare privilege, and I am so proud of these teachers and their students! I know they will represent Dodgen and Cobb very well.”

The students have been preparing for this since they held an orchestra minicamp in July. This allowed the students to get to know each other and their music. The entire Midwest Clinic performance has already been planned and approved, and includes a wide variety of styles and difficulty levels. The students rehearse four mornings a week before school with additional after-school rehearsals to prepare for this major performance.  

“They are very excited about their performance in Chicago. They talk about it every day in class. They know what a tremendous honor it is to be selected to perform at the Midwest Clinic. We hope they learn that perseverance and hard work really do pay off,” said Director Culley.

“We are sincerely grateful to all of the families that continually support their young musicians throughout this journey to the Midwest Clinic. We would also like to thank Principal Alford and the Dodgen administration and faculty. We couldn’t accomplish this without the full support of the entire Dodgen community,” Director Culley concluded.

A Midwest Clinic “Preview Concert” will be held on Thursday, December 4, at 7:00 pm in the Walton High School Theater. All are invited to attend.

For more information, visit the Dodgen MS Orchestra website.

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Tommy Nobis Center accepting student advisory applications

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Submited information:Tommy Nobis Center

Tommy Nobis Center is proud to announce the return of its Student Advisory Board, now entering its fourth year of inspiring and empowering the next generation of leaders across Metro Atlanta. This unique, semester-long program offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to make a difference in their communities while gaining valuable real-world experience through leadership, philanthropy, and service.

Student Advisory Board members will contribute valuable perspectives and serve as youth ambassadors, helping to shift mindsets and narratives about people with disabilities. Students will also have opportunities to earn volunteer hours, engage with community leaders, and be considered for one of three college scholarships.

“Our Student Advisory Board continues to be a powerful platform for young leaders who want to make a difference,” said Monica Oliveira, Director of Development. “Not only do they grow as individuals and emerging leaders, but they also play a key role in building a more inclusive future for all.”

Applications are now open through Wednesday, September 10th, 2025. For more information or to apply, visit: https://tommynobiscenter.org/student-advisory-board/.

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Vietnamese Catholic church planned at old Eastvalley ES site

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Vietnamese Catholic school planned at old Eastvalley ES site

Here’s an update to our story on Friday about the sale of the former Eastvalley Elementary School site to the Roman Catholic Archiodecese of Atlanta:

Maureen Smith, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, told East Cobb News on Monday that a church catering to the local Vietnamese community will be opening on the former Eastvalley site.

The Cobb County School District announced last week that it had sold the building and nearly 10 acres of property on Lower Roswell Road at Holt Road for $4.25 million.

Smith said the church will be named after Our Lady of Lavang, an apparition of the Virgin Mary that dates back to the late 1700s, when Catholics in Vietnam were suffering persecution. A basilica named Our Lady of Lavang was dedicated in the village of La Vang, near Hue in central Vietnam, in 1962.

This will be the third Vietnamese church in the Atlanta area run by the archdiocese, joining Our Lady of Vietnam in Riverdale and Holy Vietnamese Martyrs in Norcross.

The former Eastvalley site has been closed since 2023, when the new school campus opened on Holt Road, across from Wheeler High School.

The building opened in the early 1960s and includes 50,000 square feet of space.

Smith said that “there are no plans for major renovations or construction at this time. The church hopes to use the facility as-is for now.”

She didn’t have specific timeline for when the church would open, but said that “it will take some time to finish all the contracts and paperwork before we can start using it.”

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Cobb school district sells former Eastvalley ES properties

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Cobb school district sells former Eastvalley ES properties

UPDATED:

The former Eastvalley ES site is being planned as a church for the Vietnamese Catholic community.

ORIGINAL POST:

The Cobb County School District has sold the former site of Eastvalley Elementary School on Lower Roswell Road.

The Cobb Board of Education announced on Thursday that it approved the sale of two parcels of land where the school once held classes for $4.275 million.

Board member John Cristadoro said after an executive session that the land has been sold to AoA Properties Holding Inc.

That’s a non-profit that handles property and real estate matters for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, which operates a number of private schools in the metro Atlanta area.

They include St. Joseph School in Marietta and Siena of St. Catherine School in Kennesaw. There are no Catholic schools in the East Cobb area other than preschools at the Holy Family, St. Ann and Transfiguration parishes.

East Cobb News has left messages with the Atlanta archdiocese seeking information.

The Cobb school district had been shopping the Eastvalley site since 2023, when the new campus opened on Holt Road on the former site of East Cobb Middle School.

The original Eastvalley building has 50,000 square feet and the property includes athletic facilities and an undeveloped wooded area.

Eastvalley opened on Lower Roswell at the intersection of Holt Road in the early 1960s. In its final years, the school was heavily overcrowded, and operated with trailer classrooms that were the subject of parental complaints.

Cristadoro said that the Cobb school district would be retaining control of two telecommunications leases on the property after closing.

The sale comes amid expansion and relocation of private schools in the East Cobb area. Mt. Bethel Christian Academy is in the process of moving off the campus of Mt. Bethel Church, and Eastside Christian Church, located next to the former Eastvalley site, is adding a high school.

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Cobb schools: ‘No plan’ to revive events center at Marietta site

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Former Cobb schools special events site proposed for parking area
The Cobb school district wants to improve traffic access between its main facilities in Marietta and create additional parking.

The Cobb County School District wants to use property it purchased for a special events center for more parking space and to better connect its central office facilities in Marietta.

During a Cobb Board of Education work session Thursday, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said he has “no plans” to revive efforts to build an events center at that location that was canceled last year.

The board voted 5-2 Thursday night to approve a $1.97 million contract to improve 3.42 acres on Glover Street, next to the district’s central office. What remain are concrete slabs from former office buildings that have been torn down.

Marc Smith, the district’s chief technology and operations officer, said during a work session Thursday afternoon that the project would removing the slabs and improve frontage access along Glover Street as well as build the parking space.

He didn’t indicate how many parking spaces would be provided. In addition to the central office building, the district is surrounded by separate buildings for its data recovery center and a maintenance on Glover Street and its human resources building on Glover Street at Fairground Street.

Glover Street is a two-way street with small industrial-type businesses.

The proposed events center, which would have cost $50 million to house graduations and other major activities, was initially approved by the board in 2023. The center would have included an 8,000-seat arena, plus conference space and parking decks.

But Ragsdale cited economic concerns for the cancellation, which came last July, and after critics of the special events center revealed a site plan that had not been previously released by the district.

When board member Becky Sayler asked if “anything new” is to be built on the properties, Ragsdale said “it’ll be parking.

“As far as discussions that have taken place in executive session, I will continue to update the board on any kind of requirements. What I will say is that there is no plan now or moving forward for the multi-purpose facility to be there.

“It will be paved for parking and if anything additional is needed central office-wise the board will be apprised in discussion in executive session about land acquisitions and anything we might be doing in the future,” he said, not ruling out the possibility of eyeing an events center elsewhere.

Sayler was the only vote against the special events center and the purchase of the properties in 2023 for $3 million.

Board member John Cristadoro asked Ragsdale if there was a “super secret, covert mission” to revive the special events center on Glover Street, and the superintendent said simply, “No.”

Board member Randy Scamihorn said the work also will clear out an abandoned rail spur and and relieve traffic congestion on Glover Street that’s used heavily by district employees.

“There’s a considerable amount of work to be done just to get that property appearance acceptable in my opinion,” Scamihorn said.

He compared the site, with the slabs and bumpy asphalt, to “an outdoor house.”

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News site to record public comment stream ended by Cobb school board

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Cobb school board public conduct policy
East Cobb resident Jenny Peterson is a frequent public commenter critical of Cobb school district leadership and a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against the district.

UPDATED:

You can watch replays of the public comment sessions at the Cobb school board meetings here and here.

Larry Felton Johnson, editor and publisher of the Cobb County Courier was told could record only from a seat near a wall.

ORIGINAL POST:

After the Cobb Board of Education voted last week not to air public comments at its meetings any longer, a local news website is planning to fill in the gap.

Larry Felton Johnson, editor and publisher of the Cobb County Courier, said he will be recording the public comments on his site’s YouTube and Facebook pages, and that “they’ll be available for viewing after the meetings.”

Johnson won’t be streaming the parts of the meetings that will continue to be aired on the Cobb school district outlets, but said that “I’m going to start livestreaming when public comments start, and stop when they are over.”

The school board will entertain public comments at a work session at 1:30 p.m. Thursday and at a voting meeting at 7 p.m., but the district’s livestream will not be airing them.

District officials cited legal and “efficiency” reasons for ending the public comment broadcasts in a party-line vote, but critics said the changes were made to stifle public dissent.

Georgia law requires public school districts to provide public comment periods at its meetings, but they don’t have to air them to the public.

On Monday, Johnson posted a story about how the Georgia Open Meetings Act enables the public to record public meetings.

The Cobb school district has been airing public comments on its livestream channel and local cable outlets for several years, with up to 30 minutes set aside at each public meeting.

But in recent years the criticisms have become more frequent and sharper on a number of issues, and in some instances speakers and audience members have been removed from the meeting room for being disruptive.

The Courier is an independent all-online news outlet started by Felton, who is based in Mableton and whose news service covers the county.

His outlet has covered Cobb school district developments critically and aggressively, especially before a September 2023 board meeting. The district changed the sign-up procedures for public commenters, and chaos broke out, with some saying they were shoved around.

Some citizens had showed up to protest Ragsdale and accused the district of trying to limit critical comments; the episode led to a federal lawsuit whose plaintiffs include one of the protestors, East Cobb resident Jenny Peterson.

In March 2024, the Courier published reports accusing the Cobb school district’s media staff of acting to silence critics and improperly accessing student files.

The stories were based on e-mails and other materials obtained in an open records request by Jennifer Susko, a former Cobb school counselor and a vocal critic of the district.

Since 2021, the district has declined to comment on stories published by the Courier, citing “ongoing concerns with accuracy in reporting.” But the Courier has said the district has never asked for a correction or retraction.

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