July 17, 2026 — On the campus of Allatoona High School, there is now another school that has opened its doors. This new state-of-the-art career academy will provide unique opportunities for students that are not available in other districts across the state and country. 

The Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy (CITA) at Allatoona is the second location in Cobb Schools, and will allow students to develop skills they can use immediately after high school. This creates greater opportunities, especially for those who want to jump right into the workforce.

For this new location, 116 students will be enrolled this Fall semester, with many more expected in the coming years. 

CITA first opened on the Osborne High School campus in 2020 and now has over 500 students. Whether in healthcare, automotive, construction, electrical, or technology, CITA students are able to graduate with internship and workforce experience, which helps them stand out among other candidates. 

"This is what student success means for Cobb students. They're going to be able to graduate and do whatever they want to do. We are preparing them for success, whatever that looks like for each of those students," said Superintendent Chris Ragsdale. 

This newest CITA location focuses on four pillars: aviation, healthcare, skilled trade, and advanced computing. These pathways offered at Allatoona's CITA are different from those offered at the Osborne campus and broaden CITA's appeal to a much wider range of Cobb students. 

"We have pathways within those pillars that students will apply to come learn more about. CITA is special because our staff comes from the industry. Students are learning from professionals that have been out there in that field," said CITA's Executive Director, Dr. Tiffany Barney.

For example, in aviation, students will learn how to fly drones, practice flying on flight simulators, and learn other valuable skills that will help them in future careers. 

In healthcare, students will be able to practice diagnosing patients from newborns all the way to adults. There is also a pharmaceutical pathway at CITA Allatoona, which allows students to simulate a day in the life of prescribing, filling, and delivering prescriptions.

From schedules on the board charting what they're seeing, to walking in the shoes of someone doing the actual job, students at CITA will leave with real-world experience. 

"One of the greatest gifts CITA has given me is having a mentor who believed in me and caused me to challenge myself. I was encouraged every step of the way and it has made a lasting impact on my journey. Their guidance helped me grow not only as an HVAC student, but also as a person," said CITA senior, Ariela Vega.

Ariela was the first female to ever win first place at the national SkillsUSA competition for HVAC, and she's the first ever CITA student to win top honors at the national level. 

This second CITA location was made possible by Ed-SPLOST funds, which means the entire project was built without long-term debt. This allows for more money to be spent on continuing to provide the best and most diverse education for students in Cobb County.