King Springs Elementary finished as Cobb County's top fundraising school in a year that made the district a national first.

Students across the Cobb County School District raised more than $1 million for the American Heart Association during the 2025–2026 school year, the district announced in July. No other district in the country has hit that mark in a single year. The milestone also extends Cobb's run as the nation's No. 1 fundraising district to five consecutive years.

All 112 Cobb schools participate in the American Heart Association's (AHA) Kids Heart Challenge for elementary schools and American Heart Challenge for middle and high schools. The gap between Cobb and the rest of the field is stark: Broward County, Florida, the next-highest district, raised roughly half as much despite enrolling more than twice as many students, according to the district.

"Becoming the first district in the nation to raise $1 million for the American Heart Association is an extraordinary achievement," Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said. "… We are incredibly proud to be five-time National Champions."

King Springs Elementary, in East Cobb, ranked No. 2 in Georgia and No. 9 nationally among individual schools, according to the AHA's Kimberly Moore. Principal Ashley Mize said the school's approach is straightforward.

"We don't do anything special. We talk about heart health and about what the American Heart Association does," Mize said. "Our community is excited to give and very generous, and many of our families have a personal connection as well."

The AHA considers Cobb a "legacy county" because of a partnership stretching back more than four decades. Both programs teach students healthy habits and Hands-Only CPR. The AHA says 70% of cardiac emergencies happen at home, which makes student CPR training especially relevant.

Melissa Rivera, the AHA's development director of school engagement in Atlanta, said the effort reaches beyond fundraising totals. She said the goal is for students to understand they can make a difference.

Eleven Cobb schools were also named among America's Healthiest Schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation during the 2025–2026 school year.