Cobb school superintendent contract extension Archives

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The Cobb Board of Education Thursday voted to extend the contract of Superintendent Chris Ragsdale for another three years, to 2026.

The board voted 4-2-1 after meeting in an executive session. The four Republicans voted in favor, while Democrats Tre’ Hutchins and Becky Sayler were opposed. Democrat Nichelle Davis abstained.

The split vote has reflected recent partisan differences on the board.

Until three years ago, extending the contract of Ragsdale, who has been in the job since 2015, has been unanimous.

Republican member Randy Scamihorn read from a list of recent accomplishments of the Cobb County School District, saying that under Ragsdale there has been “steady improvement and stability” across the district.

Those include student performance metrics, a variety of academic initiatives and continued support from voters for the Cobb Education SPLOST.

But Hutchins, who represents Post 3 in South Cobb, said while he thinks the district is “in the right place at the right time . . . I would like it to translate across the county, especially in Post 3.”

Sayler, who was elected in November to Post 2 in Smyrna, said she was voting against because of a clause in Ragsdale’s contract that would allow him to leave his position with full pay if a special panel determines he’s been “harassed” or “embarrassed” by school board members.

That was part of a revised contract the Republicans on the board approved in late 2021, over the objections of the Democrats.

“I’m unclear what that means,” Sayler said, adding she wasn’t comfortable not knowing that as a board member “what I can do or say” about Ragsdale.

The terms of Ragsdale’s extension weren’t revealed Thursday. His base salary in 2022 had been $350,000, and his new deal will run to Feb. 10, 2026.

Also on Thursday, the school board voted 4-3 to approve a strategic plan for the district for 2023-28, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.

That vote also was along partisan lines, with the dissenting Democrats saying that while they like the objectives, they didn’t think the plan had sufficient tools to monitor progress.

“My concerns continue to be a lack of clear, measurable outcomes,” said Davis, who is in her first term from Post 6 in Smyrna. “Is this our best? Are we doing everything we can?”

Scamihorn responded that “we do measure what we’re doing. We’re the best, and the data shows that.”

He wasn’t more specific, but said the board is regularly updated on literacy rates and other objectives that have been included in previous strategic plans.

A strategic plan, he said, is to “set the direction and show reports as we get there.”

The board also voted unanimously to approve construction contracts for classroom additions at Dickerson and Dodgen middle schools in East Cobb, and to purchase 59 replacement school buses with air conditioning.

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Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale received a new contract extension Thursday night.

But the vote wasn’t unanimous as it has been in the past.

After an executive session and by a 4-3 party-line vote, the Cobb Board of Education approved the extension for Ragsdale, taking his contract into 2024.

A year ago, Ragsdale got a 7-0 vote to extend his contract and a salary increase to $350,000 a year.

On Thursday, the four votes in support of an extension were from the board’s Republican members—David Banks and David Chastain of East Cobb, Randy Scamihorn of North Cobb and Brad Wheeler of West Cobb.

The three Democratic members of the board—Charisse Davis of East Cobb and Smyrna, Jaha Howard of Smyrna and Tre’ Hutchins of South Cobb—voted against.

Board members didn’t discuss the extension before voting. Since they were elected two years ago, Davis and Howard have taken issue with Ragsdale on several issues, including equity matters and the district’s response to COVID-19.

In December, they opposed his recommendation to spend $12 million for special UV disinfecting lights hand sanitizers and other COVID-related safety equipment, saying that was a lot of money to spend from the district’s reserve funding for measures they said were proven.

Last month, Howard was blocked from asking Ragsdale about the district’s COVID response, which wasn’t on the board’s agenda despite the deaths of three teachers from the virus since Christmas.

Hutchins just began his tenure on the board, being elected in November to succeed three-term Democratic member David Morgan, who did not seek re-election.

Ragsdale, named Cobb superintendent in 2015 after serving as deputy superintendent and in other capacities, initially received a three-year contract, the maximum under state law. Since then he has received extensions without objections.

After the vote Thursday, Ragsdale thanked the board and said he looked forward to continue working “as one team.”

In a release issued by the district, board chairman Randy Scamihorn said that “as a Board, we are grateful to have a Superintendent and staff who provide steady, consistent leadership at the helm of one of the largest districts in the country. The common-sense approach to the challenges we face, along with consistently making decisions that prioritize our students and staff, makes our entire county better.”

The release cited improved test scores, improvements to teacher and staff salaries and technology initiatives to accommodate remote learning and enhance school security.