Scott Sweeney, the East Cobb resident who spent seven years representing Walton and Wheeler high school families on the Cobb County Board of Education, died Saturday, July 11. He had served on education boards at the county, state, and commission level over 14 years.

The State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia announced Sweeney's death on Tuesday, July 14. The cause was not disclosed.

Sweeney held the Post 6 seat on the Cobb school board from 2011 to 2018, a district that covers Walton High School, Wheeler High School, Dickerson, Dodgen, and East Cobb middle schools, and six elementary schools including Mount Bethel and Sope Creek. He and his wife Sandy, married 28 years, raised sons Gabe and Jake in East Cobb. Both graduated from Walton.

After losing his re-election bid in 2018, Sweeney served on the Georgia Board of Education, eventually chairing it during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed him to the State Charter Schools Commission in February 2025, and Sweeney was sworn in that April.

"We are stunned; there's no other way to say it," John Floresta, the Cobb County School District's chief strategy and accountability officer, said in a statement to East Cobb News on July 14. "There will be a time very soon to celebrate his life and his impact on schools but for now, we are mourning with and supporting his family."

Kemp said in a statement released the same day that Sweeney's "longstanding commitment to improving the quality of education in Georgia has made our state stronger and our students better prepared for opportunities beyond the classroom." The governor specifically cited Sweeney's leadership as state board chairman during the pandemic, saying he "prioritized keeping our students learning safely."

State School Superintendent Richard Woods called Sweeney "a man of kindness and integrity" and "a strong partner with both the Georgia Department of Education and the local districts he represented."

SCSC Chair Cayanna Good said Sweeney "will be remembered as a champion of excellence in public education in all its forms, from traditional district schools to charter schools."

David Chastain, the current Cobb school board vice chairman representing Post 4 in Northeast Cobb, called Sweeney "a mentor, a colleague, and a friend" who helped him navigate his arrival to the board in 2015. Chastain said Sweeney's "talent for unpacking challenging issues and asking the poignant questions often guided the board to coming to consensus."

Outside public service, Sweeney was a business advisor at InPrime Legal, an East Cobb firm providing outsourced legal services to small businesses. He was also active in the Cobb County Republican Party, the Georgia School Boards Association, and the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. A UCLA graduate and California native, he had made East Cobb his home.

No memorial service details have been announced.

The Cobb County Board of Education's next meeting is Thursday, July 23, with a work session at 3 p.m. and a board meeting at 7 p.m., both open to public comment.