Dr. Michael Hinojosa, finalist for superintendent, met the public and media Monday, May 23.

Dr. Michael Hinojosa, finalist for superintendent of Cobb County Schools, traveled from Texas May 23 to meet the Cobb community for the first time. During his one-day visit, he held an introductory meeting with local school principals and had lunch with District administrators. Board of Education representatives Scott Sweeney and Tim Stultz were on hand to present Dr. Hinojosa to the public during a Meet & Greet session at Campbell High School in the afternoon.

Dr. Hinojosa spent nearly two hours meeting parents and community leaders and providing interviews to local media outlets.

Citizens queued in the Campbell High School media center for the opportunity to speak with the Board’s choice for superintendent.

Demming Bass, Chief Operating Officer for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, was among the business and community leaders who came to meet Dr. Hinojosa face-to-face.

Veteran teacher and band director Alfred Watkins of Lassiter High School was among the attendees on hand to greet the finalist for superintendent.

South Cobb High School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, Jan. 3 to open and dedicate its brand new cafeteria! The cafeteria construction and hallway additions were the first phase of an  $18.1 million SPLOST III campus renovation project.

On hand for the celebration were the entire SCHS staff, Superintendent Fred Sanderson, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Steve Constantino, Director of Human Resources Dr. Donald Dunnigan, Board of Education members Lynnda Eagle, David Morgan and David Banks; state representative Alisha Thomas-Morgan and former SCHS administrators Dr. Mike Johnson, Larry Hoover and Benny Farmer.

The South Cobb Student Government Officers hosted the event, serving the inaugural meal to SCHS staff and special guests.

This phase of the SCHS SPLOST project began at the end of the 2009-10 school year and was completed on time Dec. 10. The new, $4 million dollar cafeteria is a source of pride for South Cobb High school and the south Cobb Community.

After an entire semester without a cafeteria, South Cobb students finally got to enjoy the new dining space on their first day back from the holiday break.

Read more coverage from the ceremony on the South Cobb Patch site.

A recent article by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution compared the legal expenses of metro Atlanta’s six largest public school systems and found Cobb to be among the lowest.

School legal costs from July 1, 2009 — June 30, 2010

DeKalb: $5.79 million

Atlanta: $2.7 million *

Gwinnett: $1.89 million**

Fulton: $1.86 million

Cobb: $1.74 million

Clayton: $579,278

* About $1.5 million to in-house lawyers; the balance to outside firms.
** Does not include five other attorneys contracted.

The Board of Education and Superintendent Fred Sanderson were recently invited by Major General Terry Nesbitt of the Georgia Army National Guard to visit the STARBASE program at Dobbins Air Reserve Base and the Youth Challenge Academy in Augusta, two unique educational programs for Georgia students. However, this was no ordinary road trip; the group had a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter waiting at Dobbins to transport them eastbound!

MG Nesbitt began the day by showing off the Georgia National Guard’s STARBASE program at Dobbins. STARBASE exposes students and their teachers to real world applications of math, science, aviation and technology, while addressing positive life skills, character building, drug abuse prevention and teamwork. After learning about the principles of flight in a classroom environment, students move into the Lockheed Martin Technology Center where they can apply the principles they’ve learned on flight simulators. The Board and Superintendent spent time observing STARBASE and interacting with students in a classroom setting.

Soon after, the group boarded the helicopter and took flight towards Fort Gordon in Augusta.  They arrived at the Youth Challenge Academy, a program that provides “at-risk” youth with academic and life skills training aimed at improving employment potential and creating productive citizens. Students take part in one of two, five-and-a-half month residential sessions, followed by a year-long post-residential phase. Upon completion of the program, students earn the Youth Challenge Academy Diploma and the General Equivalency Diploma (GED). The academy graduates approximately 270 students annually.

The Board and Superintendent enjoyed lunch with the academy cadets and embarked on a tour of the facilities at Fort Gordon. Following the tour, the group re-boarded the helicopter and returned to Marietta.

Four newly-elected members of the Cobb County Board of Education were sworn into service during the first weeks of 2009. Post 1 representative Lynnda Crowder-Eagle  and Post 7 representative Alison Bartlett were sworn in by Judge Tain Kell on Monday, Jan. 5. Post 3 representative David Morgan and Post 5 representative David Banks were sworn in by Judge Mary Staley on Monday, Jan. 12. Crowds of family, friends, community supporters and School District employees were in attendance to witness the ceremonies and to meet and greet the new Board members.

The four new representatives will join fellow members Holli Cash, Dr. John Abraham and Dr. John Crooks for the first Board public comment and work session of the year Wednesday, Jan. 14.

New Post 7 Board of Education member Ron Younker was sworn in Sept. 25 prior to the Board’s evening meeting. Judge Tain Kell performed the ceremony, with Mr. Younker’s wife Pam and son David participating.

Mr. Younker fills the seat vacated by Dr. Teresa Plenge, who resigned in June. He is Manager of Leadership & Professional Development for Southern Company and a lifelong Cobb resident. He and his family reside in west Cobb.