Board Approves Plan To Rebuild Flooded Clarkdale Elementary School On New Site

Clarkdale Elementary School, destroyed by floodwaters last fall, is on its way to being rebuilt. The Board of Education has approved a plan to construct a new Clarkdale Elementary on a relocated site adjacent to Cooper Middle School, between Ewing Road and Flint Hill Road in Austell. The plan encompasses construction of a larger school with up to 53 classrooms and redistricting that will relieve overcrowding at Hollydale, Sanders and other nearby elementary schools. Before its vote, the Board included an amendment that will require Board approval of a site plan for the project before it is bid.

A massive flood destroyed the original school on Sept. 21, 2009, filling the building with water from floor to ceiling. Since that time students have been divided between two nearby schools (kindergarten through second grade at Compton Elementary and grades three through five at Austell Intermediate).

Approval of the plan follows several months of discussions and negotiations with insurance, the Federal and Georgia Emergency Management Agencies (FEMA/GEMA), as well as state and county planning authorities.

Construction of the new school is expected to take at least 18 months. Read more on the District Web site.

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 February 2010, the School Board:

• Authorized extension of Bid 08-12, Fiber Components and Installation Services to NetPlanner Systems and Graybar Electric from March 1, 2010 through February 28, 2011. Approval of the bid will allow the District's network infrastructure to continue to be refreshed. The estimated annual expenditure is $225,000.

• Approved a one-time waiver of Board Policy FEB - Selection and Employment of Architectural and Engineering Services, to allow selection of an architect for the Smyrna replacement elementary school by issuance of a Request for Propsal. The waiver will allow the District to determine the market rate for architectural services.

• Approved appointment of Chapman, Griffin, Lanier & Sussenbach of Atlanta, GA as architect for Lassiter High School theater addition/modifications, at an estimated cost of $809,960.

• Approved appointment of Cunningham, Forehand, Matthews & Moore, Architects, Inc. of Atlanta, GA as architect for the Clarkdale Elementary replacement school.

• Approved contract for demolition of North Cobb Vocational Building, awarded to Nix Fowler at a cost of $235,510.

These projects were part of the SPLOST III program approved by Cobb County voters in 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.

Cobb County Schools are proud to be part of the Be There parent involvement initiative. Click here to find out more.

First in Series of Public Budget Forums March 9

The Board of Education will host the first in a series of public forums regarding budget development Tuesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. at Kennesaw Mountain High School. The first forum will be a general information session to help the public understand the budget development process and the challenges created by the economy.

Additional forums will be announced as the FY2011 budget development process continues throughout spring.

Seven Cobb High Schools Honored By State For Advanced Placement Programs

The Georgia Department of Education included seven Cobb high schools among its list of 2010 Advanced Placement Honor Schools, recognizing statewide growth and increased access to AP programs. Allatoona High is among AP Challenge Schools, for schools with fewer than 900 students offering AP classes in all four academic areas. Campbell and McEachern high schools were named AP Access & Support Schools for having 30 percent of AP test takers that are Black or Hispanic and at least 30 percent of all exams scoring 3 or higher. Four Cobb schools - Harrison, Lassiter, Walton and Wheeler - were named AP Merit Schools for having at least 20 percent of students taking AP exams and at least half the exams scoring a 3 or higher.

Cobb's own Advanced Placement Certified Schools (APCS) program has established standards even more rigorous than the state's, challenging schools to increase access to AP exams. In 2008-09, Cobb administered more than 12,000 AP exams, up from just 7,603 in 2006. The average mean score improved from 2.86 in 2008 to 2.94 in 2009.

Learn more about Cobb's APCS program on the District Web site.

Instructional Materials Available For Review

The Cobb County School District is offering citizens an opportunity to review textbooks and materials being considered for use in K-12 ESOL, 6-12 Foreign Language and 9-12 English/Language Arts. These materials will be available for public review from March 1st through March 12th, 2010. Review of materials will take place at the Central Administrative building, 514 Glover Street in Marietta during regular office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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