August 29, 2025—Two decades ago, Hurricane Katrina swept across New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, leaving historic devastation in its wake. The catastrophic hurricane displaced one million people from their homes, the most significant relocation in the United States in 75 years. Almost 500 miles away, Cobb's schools and educators did not know they would soon welcome more than 1,000 students impacted by the deadly hurricane. As news of the catastrophic flooding filled every media broadcast and evacuees desperately searched for somewhere to go, New Orleans educators did not know they would soon find a new welcoming home in Cobb and a new family inside the Cobb County School District.
Angela Stewart was one of those educators. Long before she became principal of Hillgrove High School, she was an educator in New Orleans, and then Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, and her life changed forever.
Like so many in the aftermath of the hurricane, Principal Stewart was a nomad before her family convinced her to move to Georgia, specifically Cobb Schools—the best place to go for educators, her family insisted.
A Perfect Fit:
She interviewed at Sprayberry High School and was hired on the spot. The former New Orleans educator knew she was in the right place when she heard her name being called and turned to see a student of hers from New Orleans running down the Sprayberry hall, screaming in excitement after seeing a familiar face.
"An entire class was put together at Sprayberry with all the New Orleans Hurricane Katrina students. I was their teacher. So, it became family during the day for me, which was perfect as I transitioned to life in Georgia," Principal Stewart shared.
Although she didn’t—and couldn’t—recognize it at the time, her experience following Hurricane Katrina shaped her into the school leader and mentor she is today.
“When I look back and take away the lesson, it's that adversity doesn't mean it's the end of the world,” Principal Stewart revealed. “The lesson that I teach to colleagues, students, and teachers is that whatever the tragedy is at that moment, it's not permanent. It's not. It's temporary.”
She didn’t intend to stay, but twenty years later, Principal Stewart is still here in Cobb. She supports Cobb students, mentors Cobb educators, and passes forward the generosity and welcoming spirit that greeted her so many years ago.
“I love Cobb. I'm passionate about Cobb. I'm very happy to be here,” she said.
Warm and Welcoming:
Principal Stewart’s new journey in Cobb Schools started with a heartfelt reception that made her feel like she belonged.
“Cobb was so welcoming and warm, taking me in. It was easy for me to see that it wasn't about sympathy. It was literally about compassion and caring. They checked in on me. The principal and the administration checked in with me. They checked in with me all the time,” Principal Stewart recalled.
They connected her with a mentor and the support she needed.
"Cobb was there for me. I'm still here, 20 years in, and I love what I do. I wholeheartedly believe it's the best place to teach, lead, and learn.”
Cobb’s Heart in Action:
Even before the students and educators, like Principal Stewart, arrived, Cobb schools echoed with conversations about how Cobb could help.
“There was an immediate sense that we needed to step up and help in any way possible. The conversations extended beyond our school walls and into the community as we looked for ways to provide support, even from a distance,” shared Don Baker, Cobb Schools Athletic Director.
Like AD Baker, Allatoona Principal Dr. Lexie Bostick served as a teacher at Kennesaw Mountain High School in 2005 when the hurricane roared through the Gulf.
“What I remember most about Cobb Schools’ response after Hurricane Katrina was how quickly and compassionately the community stepped in. At Kennesaw Mountain, we gathered water, food, blankets, and supplies, which my family helped deliver to the Gulf Coast. The support was immediate and heartfelt,” Dr. Bostick commended.
The hurricane’s terrifying impact felt personal to the Kennesaw Mountain educator who had lived in Gulfport only a few months earlier. The storm destroyed her former apartment.
Beyond immediate aid, Kennesaw Mountain also welcomed students who had relocated after the storm - students who had suffered tremendous loss. In fact, Kennesaw Mountain finished the prior school year with a student body of about 2,500. The educators returned to a student body that had swelled by many hundreds more. That didn’t stop classes. Even with 60 kids in one room, teaching and learning didn’t stop. Hallways became extended classrooms where teachers “happily” taught before portable classrooms were available to accommodate the new students.
“For months, students were learning, literally, on the floor, in the hallways, outside, and the gym was divided into classrooms - as teachers, we all had a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality,” shared John Floresta, Cobb Schools Chief Strategy & Accountability Officer.
Mr. Floresta was one of those teachers at Kennesaw Mountain, and he will never forget how his colleagues stepped up to help. Those unconventional days showed how much Cobb teachers care about their students.
“What stands out most to me about those students and families was their resilience. Even after losing so much, they arrived ready to start again,” Dr. Bostick recalled. “Our focus was on stability—providing consistency, encouragement, and a sense of belonging while they adjusted to a new normal.”
From immediate necessities to long-term recovery, Cobb educators focused on all the students’ needs.
“We were very intentional about creating a school experience that was as normal as possible for the students we received. Ensuring they had clothing and school supplies was important so they wouldn’t feel different from their peers. Our counselors also played a key role, providing emotional and social support to help these students cope with both the trauma of evacuation and the challenge of starting over in a new place,” AD Baker added.
Cobb’s heart beat for the students in need, and the school community was thanked with gratitude that educators like AD Baker will never forget.
“Despite everything they had endured, these families were deeply thankful to be welcomed,” AD Baker shared. “I can only imagine the weight they carried, coming into a new environment not by choice. They were searching for ‘home,’ whatever that meant after such upheaval, and we tried to provide that sense of belonging during their time with us each school day.”
Across the county at Wheeler High School, Dr. Ehsan Kattoula was one of the educators who welcomed the unexpected students. Understandably, the 20 students who stepped through the doors of Wheeler were timid and afraid after being uprooted and enrolled in a new school district.
Dr. Kattoula, who now serves as Cobb Schools' Assistant Superintendent of Accountability, Research, and Grants, remembered how Wheeler supported the students and the fallout from the devastating storm.
“As teachers, we provided emotional, educational, and social support that was needed to allow the students to open up at their own pace,” Dr. Kattoula recounted.
In Dr. Kattoula’s Physics class, he paired one of the shy newcomers with another student so she could succeed in his class and in the future. He remembers how the hard-working student was afraid of the uncertain future she faced. Cobb County turned out to be her future, graduating less than two years later and going on to attend Kennesaw State University.
It wasn’t just Cobb educators who stepped up to support and welcome the new students to Wheeler.
“The National Honor Society (NHS) officers and members took it upon themselves to create a mentorship program for the 20 students. Each of the displaced students had an NHS mentor who not only befriended them but helped them throughout the year to cope with homework, social anxiety, and the challenges they faced,” shared Dr. Kattoula, who served as the sponsor for the NHS at Wheeler in 2005.
The NHS members and the Wheeler PTSA provided school supplies, snacks, and gift cards to help the new students. Because each of the displaced students had different lunch periods, the collaboration between the PTSA and NHS expanded when they came together a couple of times per month and provided a potluck lunch for the 20 students so the students could share experiences with each other.
Cobb’s Heart Endures:
“That experience from two decades ago reshaped how we view and support all new students—not just those displaced by a natural disaster,” AD Baker explained. “It taught us to lean into compassion and to consistently ask how we can be ‘the best of us’ when welcoming someone new. Those lessons continue to guide how Cobb Schools helps students and families feel at home when they join our community.”
AD Baker’s reflections on 20 years gone by mirror how other veteran Cobb educators, like Dr. Bostick, describe the impact of that unprecedented time in Cobb’s history.
“I see the impact of those efforts still reflected in Cobb Schools today. Our instinct is to rally around students and families in need, making sure they are cared for beyond just academics,” Allatoona’s principal shared. “That experience revealed the true heart of Cobb Schools—a community that responds with compassion, unity, and action when families need it most.”
How Cobb cares and supports students, staff, and families today shines through stories about students opening a lemonade stand to support a beloved teacher who lost everything in a fire, or Pearson Middle School providing school supplies to 1,500 students, or opening school doors every month so families in need can shop for the food they need at no cost.
“Under Mr. Ragsdale’s leadership, CCSD has strengthened the fostering of positive school climates, increased investment in teachers to enhance instruction, and improved student well-being by establishing systems that connect the student and family to community-based services,” added Dr. Kattoula.
Many of the students Cobb educators stood by and supported during the aftermath of the hurricane are still in Cobb today. Cobb became their home, and it remains so today.
“I saw a student from that time recently, he owns a real estate company and has called Cobb home ever since moving because of Katrina,” Mr. Floresta added. “Those are the stories Cobb teachers create every day in 2025. This has been a special county for a long time.”
From someone who has been on the receiving end of Cobb’s generous and welcoming heart, Dr. Stewart’s experience is a testament to the consistency and strength of Cobb’s values.
“That strong sense of community is not just a slogan, it’s something I’ve lived,” the Hillgrove principal declared. “Cobb stood by me in my time of need, and that same support continues today. I’m deeply grateful to be part of the Cobb County School District.”
