Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Details of suggested cuts to close an $86.4 million budget deficit weren't received well at a work session Wednesday.
Getting used to what's being called "the new normal" isn't going to be easy for the Cobb Board of Education. After absorbing more details of a proposed fiscal year 2014 budget that recommends deep cuts in several key areas, school board members on Wednesday demanded more options as they try to solve a projected $86.4 million deficit. That's because many of the suggestions provided by Cobb County School District officials were hardly to their liking. During a long and at times heated work session, school board members told Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and the district's chief financial officer, Brad Johnson, that they weren't happy with a 13-point list of proposed cuts and changes to achieve a balanced budget. "This board needs to be …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Proposed renovations at Murdock, Timber Ridge and Shallowford Falls elementaries will be discussed by the Cobb school board Wednesday.
- SCHOOLS
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Tuesday, March 12
Renovation projects at three East Cobb elementary schools are on the discussion agenda at Wednesday's Cobb Board of Education work session. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Cobb County School District central office board room, 514 Glover Street, Marietta. A public comment session will take place at the beginning of the meeting. Cobb Education III SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) funds have been dedicated for a number of school construction and renovation projects, and bidders have been identified. For Murdock Elementary School, a $230,000 contract is being recommended, primarily for restroom modifications and replacing a kitchen walk-in refrigerator (see pages 22-27 of the attached PDF for details). That amount is 24 …
Friday, March 1, 2013
The Cobb school superintendent's contract was due to expire on June 30.
With no discussion, the Cobb Board of Education voted Thursday night to extend the contract of Superintendent Michael Hinojosa through the end of calendar year 2014. By a 5-2 vote, the board approved an extension -- which is not a renewal -- for Hinojosa, whose initial two-year contract was to have ended on June 30 of this year. Board member Kathleen Angelucci tried inserting an amendment to delay the decision pending the results of surveys from staff, teachers and parents, but her motion gained the support of only one other colleague, David Banks. They voted against the extension, with board chairman Randy Scamihorn, vice chairman Brad Wheeler and members Scott Sweeney, David Morgan and Tim Stultz voting in favor. "I'm excited about it," …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The school board also is expected to vote on a contract extension for Superintendent Michael Hinojosa Thursday.
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Wednesday, February 27
The extension of an existing contract to install "buzz-in" security systems at elementary schools is on the Cobb Board of Education agenda Thursday. The board will hold its monthly business meeting at 7 p.m. at the Cobb County School District central office, 514 Glover Street, Marietta. A public comment session will be held at the start of the meeting. Earlier this month the board heard at its work session about the proposed $900,000 extension with Kratos Defense and Security, a sole source provider. The money would come from surplus SPLOST III funds and the contract period begin on April 1 and conclude on March 31, 2014. Similar security installation work began in the Cobb school system during the SPLOST II period. Thursday's meeting will…
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The process begins in earnest in March, with mid-May approval expected.
The Cobb County School District's reputation for holding the line on administrative costs is being touted as the Cobb Board of Education prepares to dig into the fiscal year 2014 budget process. Brad Johnson, the district's chief financial officer, reminded board members during a work session on Wednesday that Cobb's full-time equivalency (per student) expenditure of $7,553 per year is the lowest of any major school system in the metro Atlanta area. Cobb's FTE general admistration cost of $83 -- compared to $1,342 in Atlanta Public Schools -- also is lower than DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett. "These are really good numbers that we really need to advertise," Johnson said in his budget briefing, which also included a specific schedule for the …
Thursday, January 24, 2013
The appointment of a chief academic officer is scheduled to be taken up at Thursday night's meeting.
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Thursday, January 24
The Cobb Board of Education will hold its monthly business meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in the board room of the Cobb County School District Central Office, located at 514 Glover Street in Marietta. A public comment period will take place at the start of the meeting. The board also is holding an executive session at 6 p.m. to discuss legal and personnel matters. Among the agenda items for the business meeting are the appointment of a chief academic officer. The school board named Amy Krause in an acting position upon the retirement of Judi Jones in November. Also before the board are several items pertaining to construction contracts at various schools, including the following: The board also will recognize Pope High School's state …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The Board of Education heard early forecasts for projected fiscal year 2014 numbers Wednesday.
The early budget forecast for the Cobb County School District for fiscal year 2014 was as gloomy as the weather Wednesday during a Cobb Board of Education work session. Cobb schools chief financial officer Brad Johnson told board members that his preliminary indications are for a $79.5 million deficit for the fiscal year that begins on July 1. While the figure is preliminary -- state funding from the Georgia legislature and the 2013 Cobb tax digest are yet to be determined -- the long-term projections are even more grim, reaching an estimated $105 million deficit for fiscal year 2017. After struggling to close a $62.4 million gap for the current fiscal year last May, the school board faces a more daunting challenge, and not just in terms …
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Randy Scamihorn is a former administrator at Sprayberry High School and Daniell Middle School.
Randy Scamihorn, a new school board member from Kennesaw, was elected chair of the Cobb Board of Education on Wednesday, the same day he took office. A retired Cobb school teacher and administrator with a background in the military, Scamihorn said he is "confident" he can do the job. "In the military, when you are enlisted, you learn to roll your sleeves up depending on the situation," he said. "You build the team and the team gets the job done." Scamihorn, 63, was elected without opposition to the Post 1 seat that covers Acworth and Kennesaw after his predecessor, Lynnda Eagle, decided not to seek another term. He recently answered questions about gun control, the upcoming referendum to extend the Education SPLOST and his plans for the …
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Randy Scamihorn was elected chairman and Brad Wheeler vice chairman of the Cobb Board of Education on Wednesday.
On the same day that they became Cobb Board of Education members for the first time, Randy Scamihorn and Brad Wheeler were elected to lead it. During Wednesday's organizational meeting, the board elected Scamihorn to serve as chairman for the 2013 calendar year and chose Wheeler vice chairman. They assumed their new posts shortly after receiving the oath of office, along with incumbents David Banks and David Morgan, who began their second terms. The board also voted to set its 2013 official meeting calendar, with minor changes to the dates recommended by Superintendent Michael Hinojosa. The leadership results were a bit of a surprise, given previous public interest expressed in the chairman post by Morgan, last year's vice chairman but who…
The newly-installed Board of Education has finalized the dates and times of its official meetings in 2013.
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Thursday, January 10
The following is the 2013 meeting schedule for the Cobb Board of Education, which approved the measure by a 6-1 vote on Wednesday. Voting in favor were Scott Sweeney, Brad Wheeler, David Morgan, Randy Scamihorn, Tim Stultz and Kathleen Angelucci. David Banks voted against. Public comment sessions begin at the start of each meeting, with a 30-minute time limit. Executive sessions may be called an hour before the evening meetings.
Chip Jacobs
4:32 am on Friday, April 5, 2013
My apologies, Frank, for not being clear. My comment about Bartlett referred to all the times in 2011 and 2012 when she called for fundamental changes in the budget, including deeper cuts, rather than using one-time steps to push budget deficits into the future. The furlough comment was just me being a smartass. Yes, Bartlett joined the 5-2 majority in approving the switch from three to two … more ›