East Cobb Beacon

East Cobb Beacon

East Cobb Beacon

Education

Latest reporting from the Education desk.

Education

Latest reporting from the Education desk.

Education

Latest reporting from the Education desk.

Education

Walton senior joins state superintendent's student council

Walton High School senior Turner Sahadevan is the only Cobb County School District student on the 85-member Georgia Student Advisory Council, chosen from 1,427 applicants to advise State Superintendent Richard Woods on education policy this school year.

· 1 min read

Wide school hallway with tiled floor, brick columns, and theater signage.

Education

Cobb schools earn A grade, rank 13th in Niche list

Niche's 2027 Best School Districts rankings gave Cobb County Schools an overall A grade and 13th place in Georgia, adding a national benchmark to the district's recent record graduation rates and strong SAT performance at East Cobb high schools.

· 2 min read

Exterior entryway of a tan stucco high school building with signage and landscaping.

Marietta, GA

12:51 am, October 14, 2026

66°F

Clear

Feels like 66° · 0% rain

Education

Walton senior joins state superintendent's student council

Walton High School senior Turner Sahadevan is the only Cobb County School District student on the 85-member Georgia Student Advisory Council, chosen from 1,427 applicants to advise State Superintendent Richard Woods on education policy this school year.

· 1 min read

Wide school hallway with tiled floor, brick columns, and theater signage.

Education

Cobb schools earn A grade, rank 13th in Niche list

Niche's 2027 Best School Districts rankings gave Cobb County Schools an overall A grade and 13th place in Georgia, adding a national benchmark to the district's recent record graduation rates and strong SAT performance at East Cobb high schools.

· 2 min read

Exterior entryway of a tan stucco high school building with signage and landscaping.

Marietta, GA

12:51 am, October 14, 2026

66°F

Clear

Feels like 66° · 0% rain

Education

Walton senior joins state superintendent's student council

Walton High School senior Turner Sahadevan is the only Cobb County School District student on the 85-member Georgia Student Advisory Council, chosen from 1,427 applicants to advise State Superintendent Richard Woods on education policy this school year.

· 1 min read

Wide school hallway with tiled floor, brick columns, and theater signage.

Education

Cobb schools earn A grade, rank 13th in Niche list

Niche's 2027 Best School Districts rankings gave Cobb County Schools an overall A grade and 13th place in Georgia, adding a national benchmark to the district's recent record graduation rates and strong SAT performance at East Cobb high schools.

· 2 min read

Exterior entryway of a tan stucco high school building with signage and landscaping.

Marietta, GA

12:51 am, October 14, 2026

66°F

Clear

Feels like 66° · 0% rain

Multi-story brick courthouse with a clock tower and American flags out front.

Education

Cobb schools, county mediation fails over $13M tax collection fees

A court-ordered mediation between Cobb County and the Cobb County School District over $13 million in annual tax-collection fees collapsed July 31, sending the dispute toward trial and putting pressure on a district budget that funds East Cobb schools including Walton, Pope, Lassiter and Wheeler.

Exterior of a large brick high school building with a curved glass entrance and flagpole.

Education

One hundred and sixteen high school students will walk into a brand-new career academy Monday, Aug. 3, with access to a drone zone, healthcare simulation rooms and flight operations labs instead of a traditional classroom schedule. The Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy at Allatoona High School in Acworth is the district's second CITA campus and represents a $25 million bet that industry certifications can rival a four-year degree. The 46,300-square-foot, two-story building sits on what was Allatoona's southern student parking lot. "When students come out of CITA, they'll be able to go straight into work with certifications making an awesome living," Superintendent Chris Ragsdale told WSB-TV. The programs span four fields. The academy offers tracks in artificial intelligence, gaming design, unmanned aircraft systems and pharmaceuticals. Students who complete the coursework earn industry certifications that qualify them for immediate employment or a path to a two-year or four-year college, according to Executive Director Dr. Tiffany Barney. Barney, who said the opening was a year in the making, wants to change how families think about vocational education. The old assumption that career training is for students who can't handle college no longer applies, she said. Graduates will leave prepared for high-paying technical work. The district held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, July 17, and highlighted CITA at Allatoona as a key priority during its July 29 back-to-school kickoff event, according to district communications. The original CITA campus on Windy Hill Road in Marietta already offers pathways in fields including welding, HVAC, cybersecurity, surgical technology and phlebotomy. The Allatoona location adds technology-forward tracks that reflect growing employer demand for AI and drone expertise. School Board Chair David Chastain and members Becky Sayler, Leroy Tre' Hutchins, Brad Wheeler and Randy Scamihorn attended the groundbreaking, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. Allatoona High School sits in northern Cobb County, outside East Cobb attendance zones. East Cobb families whose students attend Walton, Pope, Lassiter or Wheeler can apply to the program. The district has not published an enrollment breakdown by home school, and no application deadline for future cohorts has been announced. Families can contact CITA at 770-426-3300 or visit cobbk12.org for details.

The Cobb County School District opens its second career academy at Allatoona High School on Monday, Aug. 3, welcoming 116 students into a $25 million facility with programs in AI, drones, gaming design and pharmaceuticals.

A dog in a police vest sniffs a gray backpack on a school desk.

Education

Cobb expands firearms detection dogs to all high schools this fall

The Cobb County School District will station 16 firearms and explosives detection dogs at every high school starting with the 2026-27 school year, bringing random K-9 screenings to Walton, Pope, Lassiter, and Wheeler when classes begin Monday, August 3.

Smiling girl in a black blazer holding a framed award certificate and wearing a silver medal on a red lanyard.

Education

Six East Cobb students win National PTA Reflections Arts Awards

Three East Cobb students from Wheeler High School, Dickerson Middle School, and Sope Creek Elementary earned the National PTA Award of Excellence in the 2025-2026 Reflections arts program, finishing among the top three or four entries in their category nationwide, while three more earned the Award of Merit.

Smiling woman holds a 'Call Me Doctor' sign in front of a Georgia's BEST banner.

Education

Walton High teacher among 74 Cobb educators to earn free doctorates

Walton High School teacher Tobie Hendricks is one of 74 Cobb County educators who earned doctorate degrees at no cost through Georgia's BEST, a district-funded partnership with the University of West Georgia that has graduated more than 530 teachers since its launch.

A person leans over a table adjusting a small tracked robot, with a large display screen visible behind them.

Education

East Cobb students gain new career academy option as CITA expands

The Cobb County School District opened its $25 million second CITA career academy at Allatoona High School on Thursday, July 16, giving students at Walton, Pope, Lassiter, and Wheeler a tuition-free magnet pathway into career and technical education starting in August.

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About UsPrivacyTerms & ConditionsContactDMCA

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