Board Sets 2009 Priorities,
Elects New Chair, Vice-Chair

During its first meeting of 2009, the Cobb County Board of Education set its priorities for the year ahead:

Student Achievement
• Measurable gains/growth as measured by national and state test scores
• Quality teaching and leadership
• Keep track of students through system

Stakeholder Involvement
• Utilize community in decision making
• Utilize resources and create sustainable partnerships
• Board member responsibility to communicate with community and local/state officials

Accountability
• Annual performance assessment of Superintendent/Service Providers/Board to include an independent evaluation
• Follow board policy
• Responsible fiscal stewardship to include SPLOST management

The Board is very interested in hearing feedback from the public on its new priorities. To send a comment, please e-mail BoardEducation@cobbk12.org.

At its Jan. 14 work session, the board also unanimously elected Dr. John Abraham to serve as chairman for 2009 and Lynnda Crowder-Eagle to serve as vice-chairman.

SPLOST UPDATE:
The good news story of SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) continues for Cobb County taxpayers. The following agenda items approved by the Board of Education are SPLOST-related and/or involve the use of SPLOST funds. In December 2008 and January 2009, the School Board:

• Awarded Bid 09-05 to Computrac, with an estimated cost of $2 million. The bid will allow schools to purchase projectors and related items.

• Awarded Bid 09-06 to Computrac, Logical Choice Technologies, and Multi Media Services, with an estimated cost of $1 million. The bid will allow schools to purchase interactive classroom devices on an as-needed basis.

• Awarded bid 09-13 to a total of eight vendors to provide classroom furniture throughout the District on an as-needed basis. The estimated cost of the bid is $1,097,865.

• Awarded bid 09-15 to Russell Ventures, Inc., to provide administrative office furniture throughout the District. The estimated annual cost of the bid is $500,000.

• Approved using SPLOST II contingency funds to extend the warranty on 49,256 Dell computers for two additional years at a cost of $5,910,720 ($60 per machine per year).

• Approved the initial prioritization of SPLOST III projects. The project priority list is available online here.

• Directed administration to reassign remaining SPLOST II project management from the Facility Group to Garrard Program Management, LLC, provided Garrard agrees to the District’s terms.

• Approved using SPLOST I & II contingency funds to reroof Harrison High School at an estimated cost of $2.1 million.

• Approved reimbursing the Cobb County Board of Commissioners $353,684 to cover the cost of the Sept. 16, 2008 special election for SPLOST III and school board Post 7.

These projects were part of the SPLOST II & III programs approved Cobb County voters in 2003 and 2008. To view the agenda items for the projects, please click here . To view the proposal for the SPLOST III referendum approved Sept. 16, 2008, please click here.

South Cobb Marching Band Makes Cobb, Georgia Proud In Inaugural Parade

The South Cobb High School Marching Band peformed at the inaugural parade for President Barack Obama Jan. 20. The band braved extremely cold temperatures and a delay of several hours to deliver a memorable performance broadcast on national television.

Read ongoing coverage on the CobbCast news blog.

Analysis Shows
81 Percent of Cobb Graduates Pursue Higher Education

The District’s Office of Accountability is conducting research to analyze Cobb County graduates over the last 10 years. Some interesting facts have emerged:

• For the 10-year period from 1998 to 2008, 51,532 Cobb graduates enrolled in a post-secondary institution. That represents 81 percent of Cobb graduates during that period;
• 85 percent of students enrolling in post-secondary institutions attended a public university, college, or technical school;
•  78 percent remained in Georgia for their college years;
•  87 percent of students enrolled as full-time students. The following breakdown shows the colleges and universities where the highest percentages of Cobb graduates enrolled:
•  Kennesaw State 17%
•  University of Georgia 10%
•  Chattahoochee Tech 8%
•  Georgia State University 6%
•  Georgia Southern 5%
•  Georgia Tech 4%
•  Georgia Highlands 3%
•  University of West Ga. 3%
•  Georgia Perimeter College 2%
•  Southern Tech 2%
•  Auburn University 2%
•  Valdosta State 2%

Upcoming Events

When:
Monday, Feb. 16, 7:00 PM
What: Town Hall Meeting
Who: Post 4 Board Member John Abraham, Post 6 Board Member David Banks, County Commissioner Tim Lee
Where:Mt. View Library
3320 Sandy Plains Road
Marietta, GA 30066

When:
Thursday, Feb. 19, 7:00 PM
What: Town Hall Meeting
Who: Post 7 Board Member Alison Bartlett
Where: Osborne High School
2461 Favor Rd.
Marietta, GA 30060

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