New principals named at Walton HS; Simpson MS; Murdock ES

New principals were appointed to four public schools in East Cobb on Thursday for the 2024-25 academic year.

During its May voting session, the Cobb Board of Education ratified the appointment of a number of principal and central office administrators, after emerging from an executive session.

They include Dr. Stephanie Santoro, who is the new principal at Walton High School.

She has been an assistant principal at Walton and has been at the school for 20 years in a variety of teaching an administrative capacities.

Santoro succeeds Richard Tischler, who was appointed to principal in 2022.

At Simpson Middle School, Dr. David Church is the new principal. He had been an assistant principal at Cobb Horizon High School and also has been an assistant principal at Wheeler High School.

He succeeds Dr. LaEla Mitchell, who was appointed to Simpson in 2021.

Kendra Brooks is leaving as principal of Murdock Elementary School to become principal at Bells Ferry Elementary School.

Brooks has served in a number of East Cobb schools, including Sope Creek Elementary School. She has been Murdock’s principal since 2021 and at Bells Ferry, she succeeds Gail May, who has retired.

Murdock’s new principal is Zach Mathis, who has been an assistant principal at King Springs ES.

He has been an elementary school teacher and administrator in the Cobb County School District, including a stint as assistant principal at Sedalia Park Elementary School.

In addition, Sarah Ostrander, an assistant principal at East Side Elementary School, has been appointed principal at LaBelle ES.

Their new tenures will begin on July 1, the start of the fiscal year 2025 for the Cobb school district.

The Cobb school board also voted to extend the contracts of school district executive staff. Among them are Chief Accountability and Strategy Officer John Floresta.

When his name was announced, a spectator in the audience shouted “Fire Floresta!” Board Democrat Tre’ Hutchins sought to remove a staff member he identified only by a number, but his motion failed 3-4 along partisan lines.

The audience member continued to shout, and she and another person were removed from the room. They were identified as Melissa Marten and Jennifer Susko, part of a group called the Community Care Coalition.

The group wants Superintendent Chris Ragsdale and Floresta terminated. Last September, the group complained about a change in procedures to sign up to speak during public comment, saying they were physically injured in a scuffle after the registration table location was moved.

Floresta’s office is in charge of those procedures as well as media and public relations. Susko filed an open records request that revealed that Floresta and his unit planned a new location, with the aim of limiting anti-Ragsdale commenters.

Critics allege that’s part of an effort to silence them, especially due to a “Replace Ragsdale” rally that took place before that September meeting.

Related:

• Simpson MS student earns National PTA award for film
• East Cobb PTA names 2024 Margie Hatfield scholarship winners
• Civil rights complaint filed against Cobb schools book removals
• Cobb school district retirees honored at luncheon

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!