Cobb County School District
Encyclopedia
The Cobb County School District is the county government agency
which operates public schools in Cobb County, Georgia
, United States. The school district
includes all of Cobb County except for the Marietta City Schools
. It is the second-largest school system in Georgia
and among the largest in the United States, with a current enrollment of 107,719. It has 14,027 full-time employees, 5,925 of whom are teachers , the district is the county’s and state's largest employer and one of the largest in the US (at least in school systems). All Cobb County schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS), and the district is among the first to have earned district-wide accreditation.
, the Cobb County Board of Education
has full authority to control and manage the public schools within the county, excluding any independent school system now in existence within the county.
Members are:
Sprayberry was originally at what is now The Walker School
.
Elementary School was a Cobb County school that opened in the 1960s and closed on September 21, 2009, due to the massive flooding in Georgia that day, which submerged the school to the ceiling in the waters of nearby Noses Creek
. Water began rising ankle-deep onto the grounds as the children were being evacuate
d. The school housed about 450 students. These students are currently attending Compton Elementary (K-2) and Austell Intermediate (3-5). A new Clarkdale Elementary will open in either 2011 or 2012 near Cooper Middle School (although FEMA declared the original site acceptable), while the previous building is still awaiting demolition
, a delay which the local neighborhood has complained about. State funding (a bond
for 20% of the cost of replacement) was veto
ed by Governor Sonny Perdue
on procedural
grounds in early June 2010. Most of the remainder will be convered by insurance
and leftover SPLOST funds.
At least one other school has been demolished. The original Blackwell Elementary School in the Blackwells community was built in the 1920s on Canton
Road (old Georgia 5), as the county's first consolidated school. The historic schoolhouse
(and all of its later additions) was destroyed in summer 1997 and was closed for a year, while a new replacement was built on the same site, in an institutional style much like the plain architecture of an office park rather than a historic school.
(SPLOST) funds approved by Cobb voters in the 2003 referendum
and earmarked for technology improvements. The first of three proposed phases of the initiative was approved by the Board of Education in April 2005, authorizing purchase of Apple
laptops for all teachers, upgrades of middle school business labs, and the establishment of four high school pilot sites to test and evaluate individual student laptop use.
Former county commissioner Joseph "Butch" Thompson filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education on May 31, 2005. The lawsuit charged that Cobb voters did not specifically authorize the program in the 2003 SPLOST vote. On July 29, 2005, Superior Court Judge S. Lark Ingram mandated the Board of Education to use technology funds as specified in SPLOST II and ordered a permanent injunction to halt the Power to Learn initiative. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Ingram, "The ruling had nothing to do with the merits of the program. But fair notice of such use was not given to the public when the referendum for [the sales tax] was held'". Board chair Kathleen Johnstone announced on Aug. 1 that the laptop program "was no longer an option". The Board voted on August 25, 2005 to appeal the ruling, which was thrown out by the Georgia Supreme Court.
in July 2005 to investigate the bidding process for the initiative, amidst allegations that the bidding process that selected Apple Computer
as supplier for the initiative violated state law. The Board received the Kessler report on August 14, 2005. The report indicated flaws in the selection process that were not in line with state procurement policies. Superintendent Gen. Joseph Redden offered a page-by-page rebuttal of the audit report to the Board on August 17, 2005. Redden announced his resignation on August 24, 2005.
released its report and suggested no criminal charge
s be filed. The report was critical of the school district's procurement
processes, and suggested that the district provide greater definition and clarity to its purchasing procedures. The release of the grand jury report concluded the laptop initiative saga. The school district began refreshing outdated computer systems throughout the county in early 2007, precisely as outlined in SPLOST II.
s on textbook
s with a message including the admonition cautioning students that, "evolution
is only a theory". Plaintiffs brought suit
on separation of church and state
grounds, with the initial trial
finding for the plaintiffs. Cobb County School District appeal
ed and the verdict
was overturned and remanded for a new trial, at which time plaintiffs and Cobb County School District reached an out-of-court settlement, with the district agreeing to remove the stickers.
pled that the student had consented. This defense was allowed by the Superior Court judge and upheld by the Georgia Supreme Court in 2009. This led the Georgia legislature to pass a statute in 2010 making it a crime for a teacher to have sexual relations with a student.
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
which operates public schools in Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, which is located in the center of the county. The county was named for Thomas Willis Cobb, who in the early 19th century was a United States representative and senator from Georgia...
, United States. The school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
includes all of Cobb County except for the Marietta City Schools
Marietta City Schools (Georgia)
Marietta City Schools is the school district which operates the public schools in the Marietta, Georgia. It is the only city in Cobb County which operates its schools separate from the Cobb County School District....
. It is the second-largest school system in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and among the largest in the United States, with a current enrollment of 107,719. It has 14,027 full-time employees, 5,925 of whom are teachers , the district is the county’s and state's largest employer and one of the largest in the US (at least in school systems). All Cobb County schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS), and the district is among the first to have earned district-wide accreditation.
Board of education
As a body created under provisions of the constitution of the state of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state) Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Georgia is the governing document of the U.S. state of Georgia. The constitution outlines the three branches of government in Georgia. The legislative branch is embodied in the bicameral General Assembly. The executive branch is headed by the Governor. The judicial...
, the Cobb County Board of Education
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
has full authority to control and manage the public schools within the county, excluding any independent school system now in existence within the county.
Members are:
- Alison Bartlett (Chair)
- Scott Sweeney (Vice chair)
- David Banks
- Kathleen Angelucci
- David Morgan
- Lynda Crowder-Eagle
- Tim Stultz
Elementary schools
- Acworth Elementary School (grades 2-5)
- Addison Elementary School
- Argyle Elementary School
- Austell Intermediate Elementary School (grades 2-5)
- Austell Primary Elementary School (grades K-1)
- Baker Elementary School
- Bells Ferry Elementary School
- Belmont Hills Elementary School
- Big Shanty Elementary School
- Birney Elementary School
- Blackwell Elementary School
- Brown Elementary School
- Brumby Elementary School
- Bryant Intermediate Elementary School (grades 3-5)
- Bryant Primary Elementary School (grades K-2)
- Bullard Elementary School
- Chalker Elementary School
- Cheatham Hill Elementary School
- Clarkdale Elementary School (flooded see former schools)
- Clay Elementary School
- Compton Elementary School
- Cooper Elementary School
- Davis Elementary School
- Due West Elementary School
- East Side Elementary School
- Eastvalley Elementary School
- Fair Oaks Elementary School
- Ford Elementary School
- Frey Elementary School
- Garrison Mill Elementary School
- Green Acres Elementary School
- Harmony Leland Elementary School
- Hayes Intermediate Elementary School
- Hayes Primary Elementary School
- Hollydale Elementary School
- Keheley Elementary School
- Kemp Elementary School
- Kennesaw Elementary School
- Kincaid Elementary School
- King Springs Elementary School
- Mableton Elementary School
- Milford Elementary School
- Mountain View Elementary School
- Mount Bethel Elementary School
- Nickajack Elementary School
- Norton Park Elementary School
- Powder Springs Elementary
- Pickett's Mill Elementary School
- Shallowford Falls Elementary School
- Rocky Mount Elementary School
- Sope Creek Elementary School
- Teasley Elementary School
- Timber Ridge Elementary School
- Tritt Elementary School
- Varner Elementary School
- Vaughan Elementary School
Middle schools
- Awtrey Middle School
- Barber Middle School
- Campbell Middle School
- Cooper Middle School
- Daniell Middle School
- Dickerson Middle SchoolDickerson Middle SchoolDickerson Middle School is a Blue Ribbon middle school in Marietta, Georgia, United States, as part of the Cobb County School District. Its feeder schools are Mt. Bethel, Sope Creek, Timber Ridge, and East Side Elementary Schools...
- Dodgen Middle School
- Durham Middle School
- East Cobb Middle SchoolEast Cobb Middle SchoolEast Cobb Middle School is located in Marietta, Georgia. East Cobb serves grades 6-8. It is part of the Cobb County School District. The feeder elementary schools are Brumby, Eastvalley, Powers Ferry, Sedalia Park, and Sope Creek...
- Floyd Middle School
- Garrett Middle School
- Griffin Middle School
- Hightower Trail Middle School
- Lindley Middle School - 6th grade
- Lindley Middle School - 7th & 8th grade
- Lost Mountain Middle School
- Lovinggood Middle School
- Mabry Middle School
- McClesky Middle School
- McClure Middle School
- Palmer Middle School
- Pine Mountain Middle School
- Simpson Middle School
- Smitha Middle School
- Tapp Middle School
High schools
The district administers these 16 public high schools:- Allatoona High SchoolAllatoona High SchoolAllatoona High School is a public school in Acworth, Georgia that opened in the Fall of 2008 and is currently the newest high school in the Cobb County School District.-Athletics:The many different activities at Allatoona consist of:*Band/Marching Band...
- Campbell High SchoolCampbell High School (Smyrna, Georgia)Campbell High School is one of sixteen public high schools in the Cobb County School District. Located on its rectangular campus in Smyrna, a suburb of Atlanta, United States, there are currently over 2200 pupils and nearly 250 staff members....
- Harrison High SchoolHarrison High School (Georgia)For schools with a similar name, see Harrison High School.Carl Harrison High School is a grades 9-12 public high school in Kennesaw, Georgia...
- Hillgrove High SchoolHillgrove High SchoolHillgrove High school was established in 2006 in the Cobb County School District in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. Robert Shaw is the second principal of the school, taking over for the retired Joe Boland in the fall of 2009. Hillgrove currently has over 2,000 students in grades 9–12...
- Kell High School
- Kennesaw Mountain High SchoolKennesaw Mountain High SchoolKennesaw Mountain High School is a public high school located in Kennesaw, Cobb County, Georgia. It was founded in 2000 as a magnet school specializing in science and mathematics and is one of sixteen high schools in the Cobb County School District....
- Lassiter High SchoolLassiter High SchoolLassiter High School is a public high school located north of Atlanta in Marietta, Georgia, United States.- History :Lassiter High School was established in 1981. It was awarded the Georgia Public School of Excellence in 1992, 1999, 2008, and 2010. Lassiter's principal was Chris Shaw in 2008 and...
- McEachern High SchoolMcEachern High SchoolJohn McEachern High School or McEachern High School is a public high school established in 1908 in Powder Springs, Georgia, USA. It was originally established as the Seventh District Agricultural and Mechanical School. Due to its history, McEachern has an open campus, with its buildings spaced...
- North Cobb High SchoolNorth Cobb High SchoolNorth Cobb High School is a public high school located north of Atlanta in Kennesaw, Georgia. It serves approximately 2599 students in the Cobb County Public School System, in grades 9-12. The school mascot is the warrior and the school colors are navy blue and orange...
- Osborne High School
- Pebblebrook High SchoolPebblebrook High SchoolPebblebrook High School is a high school in the Cobb County School District in Mableton, Georgia. It was opened in 1963 and the current principal is Mrs. Zinta Perkins. approx. 3,000 students in grades 9-12 attend Pebblebrook and 183 teachers are employed there. This makes Pebblebrook High School...
- Pope High School
- South Cobb High SchoolSouth Cobb High SchoolSouth Cobb High School is a public high school located on Clay Road, in Austell, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1952, South Cobb High School is part of the Cobb County School District. On June 25, 2009, Ashley Hosey, the previous assistant principal at Kennesaw Mountain High School, succeeded...
- Sprayberry High SchoolSprayberry High SchoolSprayberry High School is a public high school located in eastern Cobb County in Georgia. Middle schools feeding upcoming students into Sprayberry are McCleskey, Daniell, and Simpson Middle School...
- Walton High SchoolGeorge Walton Comprehensive High SchoolGeorge Walton Comprehensive High School, usually referred to simply as "Walton High School," is public high school located in suburban Marietta, Georgia in the United States. It resides in eastern Cobb County and is a charter school in the Cobb County School District. It is a School of Excellence...
- Wheeler High SchoolJoseph Wheeler High SchoolWheeler High School is located in northeast Cobb County, Georgia, USA. It is near the city of Marietta, about northwest of downtown Atlanta. Wheeler has been in operation since 1965...
Sprayberry was originally at what is now The Walker School
The Walker School
The Walker School, formerly known as the Joseph T. Walker School, is located on Cobb Parkway in Marietta, Georgia, in what was originally Sprayberry High School. The school, considered to be one of the state's pre-eminent private schools, was founded in 1957 as the St. James Day School at St....
.
Special Needs Schools
Haven Academy includes two schools:- Fitzhugh Lee serves the ADDADD* A.D.D. , a song on System of a Down's album Steal This Album!* A.D.D. , the first studio album by Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol...
/ADHD, and other learning and behavioral disabilities for elementary school. After elementary they go to Hawthorne. Students with autismAutismAutism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
and mental healthMental healthMental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
issues go to Fitzhugh Lee and its satellites, regular schools with classes as part of the system, until graduation from high school.
- Middle school and high school Students with ADD/ADHD and other behaviorally challenged students attend Hawthorne. The school furnishes the small class size and structure. Other attendees include juvenile delinquents than exhibit behavioral problems, but are not ADD/ADHD.
Former schools
ClarkdaleClarkdale, Georgia
Clarkdale is a small community west-northwest of Atlanta, Georgia in southwestern Cobb County, between Powder Springs and Austell. It is the hometown of comedian and singer Ray Stevens....
Elementary School was a Cobb County school that opened in the 1960s and closed on September 21, 2009, due to the massive flooding in Georgia that day, which submerged the school to the ceiling in the waters of nearby Noses Creek
Noses Creek
Noses Creek is a stream in Cobb County, Georgia, USA. It is a significant tributary of the much larger Sweetwater Creek, in turn part of the Chattahoochee River basin. On topographic maps, it begins between Kennesaw and Marietta and flows generally south-southwesterly to just northwest of Austell...
. Water began rising ankle-deep onto the grounds as the children were being evacuate
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
d. The school housed about 450 students. These students are currently attending Compton Elementary (K-2) and Austell Intermediate (3-5). A new Clarkdale Elementary will open in either 2011 or 2012 near Cooper Middle School (although FEMA declared the original site acceptable), while the previous building is still awaiting demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
, a delay which the local neighborhood has complained about. State funding (a bond
Municipal bond
A municipal bond is a bond issued by a city or other local government, or their agencies. Potential issuers of municipal bonds includes cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, special-purpose districts, school districts, public utility districts, publicly owned airports and seaports, and any...
for 20% of the cost of replacement) was veto
Line-item veto
In United States government, the line-item veto, or partial veto, is the power of an executive authority to nullify or cancel specific provisions of a bill, usually a budget appropriations bill, without vetoing the entire legislative package...
ed by Governor Sonny Perdue
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
on procedural
Procedural
Procedural may refer to:*Procedural programming, a computer programming concept*Procedural generation, a term used in connection with computer graphics applications to indicate that data is created algorithmically rather than directly specified by an artist...
grounds in early June 2010. Most of the remainder will be convered by insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
and leftover SPLOST funds.
At least one other school has been demolished. The original Blackwell Elementary School in the Blackwells community was built in the 1920s on Canton
Canton, Georgia
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 22,958.-Geography:Canton is located at ....
Road (old Georgia 5), as the county's first consolidated school. The historic schoolhouse
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
(and all of its later additions) was destroyed in summer 1997 and was closed for a year, while a new replacement was built on the same site, in an institutional style much like the plain architecture of an office park rather than a historic school.
Balanced Calendar
In 2010, the Cobb County Board of Education approved a balanced school-year calendar for the three school years from 2010-2013. This calendar would start the school year during the first week of August and end in the last week of May. After conducting an online survey, where 77% supported the balanced calendar and 15% preferred the traditional calendar, the Board of Education voted 4-3 to use the traditional calendar.Power to Learn laptop initiative
In 2005, the District implemented a technology initiative called Power to Learn, which would supply individual laptop computers to students for use in classroom. The initiative was to be initially funded by a portion of the special-purpose local-option sales taxSpecial-purpose local-option sales tax
In the U.S. state of Georgia, a special-purpose local-option sales tax can be levied by any county, for the purpose of funding the building and maintenance of parks, schools, roads, and other public facilities...
(SPLOST) funds approved by Cobb voters in the 2003 referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
and earmarked for technology improvements. The first of three proposed phases of the initiative was approved by the Board of Education in April 2005, authorizing purchase of Apple
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
laptops for all teachers, upgrades of middle school business labs, and the establishment of four high school pilot sites to test and evaluate individual student laptop use.
Former county commissioner Joseph "Butch" Thompson filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education on May 31, 2005. The lawsuit charged that Cobb voters did not specifically authorize the program in the 2003 SPLOST vote. On July 29, 2005, Superior Court Judge S. Lark Ingram mandated the Board of Education to use technology funds as specified in SPLOST II and ordered a permanent injunction to halt the Power to Learn initiative. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Ingram, "The ruling had nothing to do with the merits of the program. But fair notice of such use was not given to the public when the referendum for [the sales tax] was held'". Board chair Kathleen Johnstone announced on Aug. 1 that the laptop program "was no longer an option". The Board voted on August 25, 2005 to appeal the ruling, which was thrown out by the Georgia Supreme Court.
Superintendent Redden resigns
The Board of Education hired New York-based auditing firm Kessler InternationalMichael G. Kessler
Michael G. Kessler is the founding President and CEO of Kessler International, a United States headquartered forensic accounting, computer forensics and corporate investigations firm....
in July 2005 to investigate the bidding process for the initiative, amidst allegations that the bidding process that selected Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
as supplier for the initiative violated state law. The Board received the Kessler report on August 14, 2005. The report indicated flaws in the selection process that were not in line with state procurement policies. Superintendent Gen. Joseph Redden offered a page-by-page rebuttal of the audit report to the Board on August 17, 2005. Redden announced his resignation on August 24, 2005.
Grand jury investigation
Upon the request of the Board of Education, Cobb District Attorney Pat Head was granted an order on October 6, 2005 to empanel a special grand jury to investigate the bidding process. On April 19, 2007, the 25-member grand juryGrand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
released its report and suggested no criminal charge
Criminal charge
A criminal charge is a formal accusation made by a governmental authority asserting that somebody has committed a crime. A charging document, which contains one or more criminal charges or counts, can take several forms, including:* complaint...
s be filed. The report was critical of the school district's procurement
Procurement
Procurement is the acquisition of goods or services. It is favourable that the goods/services are appropriate and that they are procured at the best possible cost to meet the needs of the purchaser in terms of quality and quantity, time, and location...
processes, and suggested that the district provide greater definition and clarity to its purchasing procedures. The release of the grand jury report concluded the laptop initiative saga. The school district began refreshing outdated computer systems throughout the county in early 2007, precisely as outlined in SPLOST II.
Selman v. Cobb County School District
In 2005, Cobb County School District voted to put stickerSticker
A sticker is a type of a piece of paper or plastic, adhesive, sticky on one side, and usually with a design on the other. They can be used for decoration, depending on the situation. They can come in many different shapes, sizes and colours and are put on things such as lunchboxes, in children's...
s on textbook
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
s with a message including the admonition cautioning students that, "evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
is only a theory". Plaintiffs brought suit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
on separation of church and state
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
grounds, with the initial trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
finding for the plaintiffs. Cobb County School District appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
ed and the verdict
Verdict
In law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge. The term, from the Latin veredictum, literally means "to say the truth" and is derived from Middle English verdit, from Anglo-Norman: a compound of ver and dit In law, a verdict...
was overturned and remanded for a new trial, at which time plaintiffs and Cobb County School District reached an out-of-court settlement, with the district agreeing to remove the stickers.
Teacher sexual contact with student
A Cobb County teacher was discovered to have had sex with a 17-year old student. When brought to trial, the teacherpled that the student had consented. This defense was allowed by the Superior Court judge and upheld by the Georgia Supreme Court in 2009. This led the Georgia legislature to pass a statute in 2010 making it a crime for a teacher to have sexual relations with a student.
External links
- Official site
- ttp://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/communications/news/2010/QAR-final.pdf Report of the Southern Association on Colleges and Schools Accreditation]
- Teach Cobb
- Cobb County Schools on Public Schools Directory