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August 20, 2026 — Classrooms across Cobb are filled with the sounds of students learning and teachers teaching. Before the bell rings to mark the end of the third week of school, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale celebrated with the School Board the “successful and energetic” start to the new school year in one of the nation’s best school districts.
“There’s something special about the start of a new school year. You can feel the excitement in our schools, and it’s a reminder of how much our staff, students, and families care about their schools and love our Cobb community," said Cobb Schools Board Chair Randy Scamihorn.
Superintendent Ragsdale also addressed politically driven myths about District policies.
Emphasizing transparency and the importance of keeping the school community informed, Superintendent Ragsdale directly addressed claims made by individuals campaigning for the school board, explaining that he was responding to criticism of the District’s position on providing children with unrestricted access to age-inappropriate, lewd, vulgar, and sexually explicit materials.
He assured the Board he would not use taxpayer dollars to provide children unrestricted access to such content, just as the District could not and would not provide unrestricted access to R-rated movies in Cobb schools.
“That decision belongs to parents, not educators …
Anyone who believes the school district should misuse its authority and expose other parents’ children to age-inappropriate, lewd, vulgar, or sexually explicit material should not be making those decisions for other people’s children.”
School Board Vice Chair David Chastain echoed the focus on safety, saying, “We choose what’s best to nurture a young mind and to nurture a young heart. So yes, certain books are not permitted in the Cobb County School District, and that is because we’re thinking about protecting children.”
Superintendent Ragsdale also corrected the inaccurate claims that books were removed from schools because they represented diverse perspectives.
Cobb Schools’ media centers feature millions of books covering a broad range of the human experience. The books in question were removed after a review found them demonstrably inappropriate for children, including frequent profanity and graphic descriptions of an underage sex act encouraged by one character despite the other character’s lack of consent.
This is a student safety and protection issue.
The Superintendent explained that although a political candidate may disagree with the District’s position, that does not make it a political issue.
“As I have said repeatedly, sexually explicit materials in schools is not a political issue, it is a student safety and protection issue,” Superintendent Ragsdale said.
Superintendent Ragsdale pointed to the national epidemic of underage sex trafficking, saying child trafficking is sometimes preceded by materials that treat children as sexual objects.
“Cobb is not immune, and in this school district, we will protect children,” declared Superintendent Ragsdale.
There is no middle ground.
Cobb’s Superintendent made his opposition to providing sexually explicit materials to children clear.
“This situation isn’t about political posturing or attracting out-of-state campaign contributions. In Cobb County, it is still about right and wrong – good and evil. In the absence of good, evil just becomes more evil. There is no middle ground in this situation. You are either in favor of providing sexually explicit material to children or you are against it. I assure you, I am against it, and I will still not be moved.”
Earlier in the meeting, the school board members and Superintendent had the opportunity to celebrate some of the District’s top educators and a long list of high-achieving students who together serve as examples of why Cobb Schools is the best place to teach, lead, and learn.
The meeting also spotlighted the generosity and community spirit of Cobb students and staff through a special recognition with the American Heart Association. Cobb Schools became the first school district to raise more than $1 million through the organization’s fundraising campaign, with Kings Springs Elementary School earning special recognition for raising the most of any Cobb school.
Board Recognitions
2025-2026 Georgia & National School Bus Safety Poster Winner, Division 1 – Alexa Camila Gonzalez, Varner Elementary
2025-2026 Georgia & National School Bus Safety Poster Winner, Division 2 – Lauren Roque, Smyrna Elementary School
2025-2026 GHSA Class 4A Boys Baseball Team State Champions – Kell High School
2025-2026 GHSA Class 5A Girls Track Overall State Champions – Pope High School
2025-2026 GHSA Class 5A Girls 800-Meter Run State Champion – Aislynn Dunn, Pope High School
2025-2026 GHSA Class 5A Girls 4x800-Meter Run State Champions – Josie Hutchinson, Aislynn Dunn, Simi Lawani, Phoebe Throckmorton, Pope High School
2025-2026 GHSA Class 6A Girls Tennis Team State Champions – Walton High School
2025-2026 GHSA Class 6A Girls Discus State Champion – Ayla Inan, Walton High School
2025-2026 GHSA Class 5A Girls Pole Vault State Champion – Ava Okeke, Kennesaw Mountain High School
2025-2026 GHSA Class 6A Girls 100- & 200-Meter Dash State Champion – Mina Lovelace, McEachern High School
2025-2026 GHSA Class 6A Girls High Jump State Champion – Zoe Oye, North Cobb High School
2025-2026 GHSA Class 6A Boys 800-Meter Run State Champion – Riley Comstock, Harrison High School
2025-2026 SkillsUSA Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration National Champion – Ariela Vega, CITA at Osborne High School
2025-2026 Georgia Association for Career & Technical Education Administrator of the Year – Dr. Tiffany Barney, Cobb Innovation & Technology Academy
40 Years of Service – Clarence Echols, Custodian, Hayes Elementary School
40 Years of Service – Andy Kilgore, Maintenance Supervisor
High School Level Teacher of the Year – Lisa Peacock, Osborne High School
Middle School Level Teacher of the Year – Ebony Collier, Tapp Middle School
Elementary School Level & District Teacher of the Year – Kylie Hardy, Mableton Elementary School
