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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT:
Writing Test Scores Climb
To Five-Year High
Cobb students are continuing to improve their writing skills, as scores for the 2005 Georgia High School Writing Test climbed to a five-year high. Scale scores increased from 531 in 2004 to 533 in 2005 and the percentage of students passing the test increased from 96 percent to 97 percent.
The greatest increase in the percentage of students passing the test came at Osborne High School, with an 8 percent jump from 2004. Osborne's scale score points also improved from 517 to 521.
Results for each Cobb high school are available on the school district web site at www.cobbk12.org.
NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS:
GE Energy Helps Power Up 2005
Advanced Placement Certified Schools
Cobb high schools have spent the past year developing strategies for inclusion in the new Advanced Placement Certified Schools Program. The initiative began in 2004 as a means of making challening honors and AP classes accessible to more students and support high achievement in the course work.
The GE Energy Foundation is stepping in to generously support our APCS program, granting $5,000 awards to each of the 2005 certified schools, which are as follows:
Affiliate Level:
Wheeler, Osborne, Kennesaw Mountain
Certified Level:
Lassiter, Sprayberry
Demonstration Level:
Walton, Pope, Harrison
Congratulations to all of our APCS schools - we're excited to see these programs expand and provide challenging advanced studies for Cobb students.
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 DISTRICT NEWS:
Fred Sanderson Approved As New Superintendent
The Board unanimously approved Fred Sanderson as the new Superintendent of the Cobb County School District during a called meeting on Nov. 23. Prior to the approval, Sanderson toured the District, meeting parents, employees and community members at the central office and at schools in all seven board member posts. He will assume the role of superintendent beginning Jan. 1 of the new year. Read more at www.cobbk12.org.
SPLOST UPDATE:
'Good News' Story of SPLOST
Brings New Schools, Attendance
Zone Changes to West Cobb
West Cobb County is currently experiencing rapid growth not unlike what its neighbors to the east went through two decades ago.
The result has been overcrowded schools. McEachern High School, built to accommodate 2,712 students, currently houses 3,560. Kennesaw Mountain High School, built to accommodate 1,987 students, currently houses 3,148. In 2003, Cobb County voters approved a five-year extension of a countywide sales tax (called SPLOST for Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) for school construction.
The $697 million program will build nine new schools and add more than 300 new classrooms to existing schools by the end of 2008. Money raised through the sales tax is not borrowed and will not have to be paid back with interest. In addition, a substantial portion of funds raised through a sales tax is contributed by non-county residents. A portion of SPLOST funds is being used to pay off existing school district debt from bonds issued more than a decade ago. This will reduce property taxes when the School District becomes debt-free in 2007.
As a result of SPLOST II, three new schools – Hillgrove High School, Lovinggood and McClure middle schools – will open next fall in west Cobb. These schools will provide direct relief to McEachern, Kennesaw Mountain, and several overcrowded middle schools. To populate these schools and provide relief for overcrowding, attendance zone lines will be redrawn and some students will attend new schools in 2006. Information about this redistricting, including preliminary attendance zone maps, is available on the school district web site.
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