Spotlight on . . .
National Blue Ribbon Schools & Georgia Schools of Excellence
The Cobb County School
District has consistently earned awards in recognition of its
excellence in education. Two top honors include the National Blue
Ribbon School award and the Georgia School of Excellence award.
The District has earned an impressive 16 National Blue Ribbon
School awards and 33 Georgia School of Excellence awards.
2003 National Blue
Ribbon School Award Winner:
Dickerson Middle School
Dickerson Middle School
was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of
Education under the department’s No Child Left Behind–Blue Ribbon
Schools Program.
Dickerson is among 219
schools recognized nationally and one of only six Georgia public
schools to be chosen for this distinguished honor in 2003.
Read more...
2003 Georgia School
of Excellence Award Winner:
Hightower Trail Middle School
Hightower Trail Middle
School was named a 2003 Georgia School of Excellence.
This prestigious award,
presented annually to qualifying schools by the Georgia Department
of Education, recognizes outstanding public schools for their
success in the areas of student focus and support; school
organization and culture; challenging standards and curriculum;
active teaching and learning; professional community, leadership
and educational vitality; school, family and community
partnerships; and indicators of success.
Hightower Trail is one
of only five middle schools statewide that received the honor.
Being named a Georgia School of Excellence is a challenge with a
rigorous selection process including site visits to the nominated
schools and an intense application review by the state Department
of Education. Read more... |
Business Services
Operating Schools Effectively
and Efficiently
The Business Services Division continues
to support the educational process by providing student meals,
transporting students, maintaining the District’s fleet, and
maintaining facilities that meet or exceed state and federal standards
to foster a positive learning environment for students.
The division’s primary goal is to
support the local school administration in a totally transparent
manner to allow local school administrators to focus on student
achievement.
• Facility Maintenance is responsible
for 121 facilities with 13,271,860 square feet of floor space. The
department maintains 2,803 acres of land.
• Fleet Maintenance is responsible
for the repair and maintenance of the District’s 1,327 vehicles, as
well as the annual inspection of the fleet by the Georgia Department
of Public Safety.
• Food and Nutrition Services
operates 102 cafeterias that provide meals meeting state and federal
requirements to more than 84,000 students daily.
• Pupil Transportation provides safe
reliable transportation for more than 73,000 students to and from
school on a daily basis, traveling 63,986 miles per day.
Financial Services
Effective Management of Taxpayer Dollars
The Financial Services division is responsible for managing $1 billion
in revenue received by the Cobb County School District annually.
Departments include: Procurement, Field Services, Disbursements,
Accounting, Financial Technology, Budget, and Internal Audit.
These departments perform tasks such as
ensuring that the district's 16,000 employees are paid each month,
that the five-year $684 million Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
(SPLOST) sales is accounted for properly, and that the $721 million
general fund budget is expended and budgeted accurately.
Financial Services prides itself on
managing taxpayer dollars in the most effective and efficient manner
possible and has received substantial acclaim for its efforts,
including:
• Certificate of Excellence in
Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business
Officials (ASBO) for fiscal year end 2002. The School District has
received this award for the past 21 years for excellence in the
preparation and issuance of the school system comprehensive annual
financial reports.
• Certificate of Achievement for
Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance
Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for the
2002 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The School District was
the first in Georgia to receive this award in FY1979-80, and has
continued the trend for 23 consecutive years. Only five other school
districts in Georgia have been recognized with this award.
• Distinguished Budget Award from the
Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and
Canada (GFOA) for the 2003 Comprehensive Budget Report. The Cobb
County School District was the first in Georgia to receive this
award in FY1988-89, and has continued the honor for the past 15
years. Only two other school districts in Georgia have been
recognized with this award.
• Outstanding Agency Accreditation
Achievement Award from the National Institute of Governmental
Purchasing for excellence in public procurement. This prestigious
award has been granted to only 58 governments nationwide out of a
membership of more than 2,100 governmental agencies.
Operations
Ensuring a Safe School Community
Department of Public Safety - The District’s Department of
Public Safety is responsible for ensuring that all Cobb County Schools
are provided with a safe learning environment. The department includes
34 certified Law Enforcement Officers, who patrol Cobb’s high school
and middle school campuses.
The department also includes a K-9
unit, which consists of a drug detection dog and an explosives
detection dog. The department works in a coordinated effort with the
Cobb County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies
within the county.
Construction - The Construction department oversees all Cobb
County School District building projects throughout the school system.
During the past five years, the Construction department has overseen
approximately 1,000 construction projects that were funded under
SPLOST I (the initial phase of the Special Purpose Local Options Sales
Tax).
In September 2003, the voters of Cobb
County approved SPLOST II and bids were received in October 2003 for
the first new facility, Acworth Middle School, to be constructed with
SPLOST II funds. As of June 30, 2004, seven new schools and 10 major
additions, along with maintenance projects will be under way.
The Construction department works
directly with The Facility Group, the District's Program Manager and
contractors, to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and
efficiently.
Facility Use - The Facility Use
department has the responsibility of coordinating use of school
facilities, both inside areas and fields, by community groups.
In the past year, the department processed approximately 550 contracts
for 260 different groups, including youth and adult sports leagues,
homeowners’ associations, churches, language schools, boys and girls
clubs, police and fire departments, civic groups, and numerous others.
Policy & Planning
Assisting in Daily District Operations
The Policy & Planning Division is responsible for many key
administrative functions in the day-to-day operation of the School
District, as well as fulfilling a significant role in several District
long-range planning and improvement initiatives.
Areas of responsibility include:
• Coordinating and maintaining Board
of Education policies and regulations;
• Coordinating the development, updating and monitoring the school
District’s Strategic Plan;
• Facilitating the District-wide process of accreditation by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;
• Coordinating the development of District calendars;
• Facilitating responses to student issues, including enrollment,
transfers, custody, immunizations, and legal;
• Assisting with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act;
• Facilitating appropriate interpretation of all student policies;
• Facilitating response to appeals of school policy interpretations
relative to discipline;
• Conducting student disciplinary due process hearings;
• Overseeing all athletics, including scheduling and compliance of
Title IX;
• Coordinating spring high school graduation ceremonies.
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