During the summer break, the Cobb County School District has been published brief Q and A profiles with newly appointed principals.
Four district schools in East Cobb will be getting new principals when the 2026-27 school year begins in August.
They include Dr. Tonya Polk, who was appointed principal at McCleskey Middle School. She succeeds Dr. Andrea Jenkins-Mann, who is the principal at Cobb Horizon School, an alternative high school program.
Polk has been in the Cobb school district for 12 years, and for the last two years has been an assistant principal at Sprayberry High School.
McCleskey is a Sprayberry feeder, and Polk said that in that time, “I have gained insight into the skills students bring to high school and the areas where they need stronger preparation, and I look forward to using that experience to help ensure McCleskey students are fully prepared for the next level.”
Polk holds business-related degrees from Valdosta State University and the University of West Georgia.
At Timber Ridge Elementary School, Dr. Kristi Lankford will step in as principal following the retirement of Shannon McGill.
Lankford was most recently an assistant principal at Pearson Middle School and taught at Dowell Elementary School and Fair Oaks Elementary School, as part of more than 25 years in Cobb schools.
She said that what she likes best about being an educator is that “as a principal, witnessing the success and growth of both students and staff is incredibly rewarding. I enjoy supporting others as they build confidence, reach goals, and recognize their own potential.”
Lankford earned education degrees from the University of South Florida.
Polk and Lankford will begin their new roles on July 1, as will Dr. Christina Moll at Addison Elementary School and Lauren Rabil at Kincaid Elementary School.
Related:
- Walton HS STEM program visited by Project Lead the Way
- Cobb school district sues county over tax-collection fees
- Sprayberry HS assistant principal named McCleskey MS principal
- Lassiter HS student earns prestigious Stamps Scholarship
- Popefest celebration to start school’s 40th anniversary year
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