[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6326131,"mediaKeyId","2325431-667deed1c428fe843485ba8b8ce9b2a5","parentId",2325431,"title","Superintendent Ragsdale defends book removals, outlines safety steps and immigration stance","audioSeconds",554,"startMs",2632000,"endMs",3186000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2325431-667deed1c428fe843485ba8b8ce9b2a5&start=2632&end=3186","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2325431-667deed1c428fe843485ba8b8ce9b2a5/thumbnail_2632000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6326131/Georgia/Superintendent-Ragsdale-defends-book-removals-outlines-safety-steps-and-immigration-stance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326131-3176306977a0db5d375e28144e2db9ee/orig.mp4?Expires=1773733172&Signature=WT7JPJ7lEUtuO5f92lq9qr12j1YANIK~5e3MP9iwPMeJyvqiHRgf21B8uqpBVEl0uQhxT5Xa~gaIvE4ms5UCDQ~rSM3Z4YNBg9STo4gYj0ckRbT3iidTd~P5iLf6PGzVvKxMhDV2baOMhavtEeRRJrEjJQT-6wF-Sp4sm8XygsbE8rhJnE1K4FrRIEqJGfQJToC7fDzk8etKLD7M0If6jbbEdLfwDcA-BIjxlHlB0cRq9WqcSS-H~32xayTS-PY1i9OLjZp8-evyqtaLc2n7qa6UPqwU-CEbse-X-V2urAltc~Ef94XdOgtKZ4CfC5FYvkcr6QQjOjpHAj118N1YEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author"," Cobb County GA School Board of Education","date","2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","article","Superintendent Ragsdale told the board on Feb. 13 that recent district decisions about library materials are guided by the district's determination to keep age-inappropriate or explicit content out of unrestricted student access and that those decisions are local and not a federal mandate. He also described the district's cardiac emergency preparedness and announced plans to bring Vapor Wake detection dogs into Cobb schools, and he restated that the district does not collect students' immigration status while complying with lawful directives from law-enforcement agencies.

Why it matters

Library-content decisions, emergency-response readiness and how a district responds to federal law enforcement each affect student safety, staff practice and parental expectations. Ragsdale's remarks addressed several concerns raised during the public comment period.

Key points Ragsdale made

- Library and content policy: Ragsdale said decisions in recent years have targeted a \"surgical removal of a small number of books from general circulation\" to prevent student access to content he described as \"age inappropriate, lewd, vulgar, and [explicit].\" He said the U.S. Department of Education had confirmed there was no federal mandate requiring districts to retain explicitly inappropriate content and cited a recent federal review of alleged book-removal cases.

- Cardiac emergency preparedness: Ragsdale said the district has more than 370 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and that school nurses check AEDs monthly. He said the district trains first-responder teams in CPR, AED use and \"stop the bleed\" procedures. He referenced the HEARTS Act, saying it requires schools to have cardiac emergency response plans (SERPs).

- Safety funding and Vapor Wake dogs: Ragsdale said Governor Kemp announced an additional one-time $50 million for school safety and that Georgia schools, including Cobb, already receive $109 million in related funds. He said Cobb spends more than $35 million on safety per year and that the governor's investment would support proactive solutions; he announced that Vapor Wake detection dogs will be added to the district's safety measures.

- Immigration and data collection: Ragsdale said Cobb County Schools \"do not collect information regarding the immigration status of our students\" and that the district will \"comply with the legal directives of law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.\" He framed the district's role as educational rather than investigative.

Other district acknowledgments

Ragsdale also thanked donors and partners: a $200,000 scholarship donation to Campbell High School from alumnus Ned Castleberry and a Center for Family Resources donation of 100 winter food boxes to families. He recognized counselors and school social workers for National School Counseling Week and National School Social Worker Week.

Ending

Ragsdale closed by reiterating the district's stated approach: preserve an age-appropriate learning environment, follow legal directives, and pursue safety measures funded through state and district resources.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Voting Session - 2/13/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Ragsdale told the board on Feb. 13 that recent district decisions about library materials are guided by the district's determination to keep age- inappropriate or explicit content out of unrestricted student access and that those decisions are local and not a federal mandate.","taxTitle","Cobb County, School Districts, Georgia","taxId",15766,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326136,"Cobb County School Board extends superintendent contract, approves personnel and student-discipline actions, and opts out of HB 581",929,2452000,3381000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2325431-667deed1c428fe843485ba8b8ce9b2a5&start=2452&end=3381","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2325431-667deed1c428fe843485ba8b8ce9b2a5/thumbnail_2452000.jpg","/articles/6326136/Georgia/Cobb-County-School-Board-extends-superintendent-contract-approves-personnel-and-student-discipline-actions-and-opts-out-of-HB-581","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326136-ca2a562c66e71c20b44a6cfa0183dfbe/orig.mp4?Expires=1773733172&Signature=BA3fLy1cgAwOm~~mKFVcVpE6Ct1L2sm1PnXiqjU5fiM2oDthVd4MOtTu~1dGBFlLLtr3c1JtgbDHZoTSd2I7SC097JGqOSWgR24wG28IKyDjsIGma6waNriLYhrENyXn9Z78q3pvZpy3MOtvPt8UttRQ4fgjUthpBNQ-L7hDLMtUxC~q7ZVxjKmlLS5bQaTRYcAsZDWqyuWBEZManmvbjSU726qGgkcq~oclt5Sv9E1yqna-dpqmjquTg-iBm1jrug1vuSxpz~UhDKYR1oi4C5wDPd1CXe1wmUeo1YPTUgLHzz9FR85UfzWg~iWhxD5EOiCvfNYPjjxKGWt6jRhPeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cobb County Board of Education on Feb. 13, 2025 approved a package of personnel and business items, including two student-discipline appeals, acceptance of the human-resources report, a three-year extension of Superintendent Ragsdale's contract and a resolution to opt out of the House Bill 581 process.

Board members voted unanimously on each recorded action. The votes were taken during the meeting's action-item portion after executive session.

Votes at a glance

- Student-discipline appeal 12: Motion to approve the student disciplinary hearing officer's decision carried 6-0. (Motion by Miss Davis; second by Mr. Scammerhorn.) Details of the underlying disciplinary decision were not specified in the public record.

- Student-discipline appeal 13: Motion to approve the student disciplinary hearing officer's decision carried 6-0. (Motion by Mr. Schumacher; second by Mr. Wheeler.) Details of the underlying disciplinary decision were not specified in the public record.

- Human resources/personnel report: The board accepted the personnel action report as presented. (Motion by Miss Davis; vote recorded as 6-0.) Keely Bowen, the district's chief human-resources officer, told the board the administration recommended approval of the employment actions discussed in executive session and that there were no principal-level or higher recommendations that day.

- Superintendent contract extension: The board voted to extend Superintendent Ragsdale's contract from Feb. 13, 2025, to Feb. 12, 2028. (Motion by Mr. Cristaduro; second by Mr. Wheeler; vote 6-0.)

- Consent agenda items: The board approved by unanimous consent the consent agenda, which included accepting the superintendent's recommendation to tear down school properties at Bells Ferry to build a new school, approving a guaranteed maximum price at Bells Ferry Elementary School, and authorizing renewal of a contract for portable classrooms. The chair stated the consent agenda passed \"without objection.\" Specific contract numbers and dollar amounts were not specified in the oral record.

- Opt-out resolution for House Bill 581 process (agenda item 6): The board voted 6-0 to follow the superintendent's recommendation to opt out of the HB 581 process. Superintendent Ragsdale said he could not recommend any action that would reduce funding coming to the district and said implementation of HB 581 as presented would have reduced Cobb's funding by $43,000,000, a figure he cited during the hearing.

What the votes mean

Board members did not amend or debate the student-discipline officer decisions on the floor; motions approved the hearing officers' findings as presented. The personnel report acceptance and the superintendent contract extension are formal board actions that authorize the administration to carry out the recommended personnel and contractual terms; the transcript did not include contract salary or supplemental terms.

Several items (student appeal details, consent-agenda contract dollar amounts) were not described in the public spoken record and therefore are listed here as not specified.

Procedural notes

Board members called the roll and used raised-hand votes for recorded motions. Where the public record did not name every voting board member for a tally, the chair announced the numeric result (for example, \"6-0\").

Ending

The chair adjourned the meeting following the votes. The board's formal minutes and posted agenda materials may include additional documentation for each personnel action, student-discipline record and contract referenced during the meeting.","At its Feb. 13, 2025 voting session the Cobb County Board of Education unanimously approved two student-discipline appeals, accepted a personnel report, extended Superintendent Ragsdale's contract through Feb. 12, 2028, approved consent items, and adopted a resolution to opt out of the House Bill 581 process.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326125,"Speaker accuses district communications team of misconduct and criticizes metal-detector rollout",119,2217000,2336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2325431-667deed1c428fe843485ba8b8ce9b2a5&start=2217&end=2336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2325431-667deed1c428fe843485ba8b8ce9b2a5/thumbnail_2217000.jpg","/articles/6326125/Georgia/Speaker-accuses-district-communications-team-of-misconduct-and-criticizes-metal-detector-rollout","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326125-c4a45ecbeb4a2610193666b91131e26a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773733172&Signature=OtjKJkrxe276zw5VTg4ybNqBqSp3LZOTQwVkmAksrKRGguOZetCM~oq7UK13DSHrhzD-GRTgRa5SOsMtdTR1tZFKeWwKsUGEs1kjN6zzrLYuDjWKVLzN-ZpPUzQetUOuAmR6zGxoSzVk9hFlUcaXiJ4-TaCdTjxNE-KsSVqCbWragU67NfwBt7bT3R0ye4YmoI2v~jqaxkHsQemy~1na7vdx6~8XrRUDk2OHgqpTcjqNw6ptFFeLGVKOchmqroFHbSvvrTMFFdX602QPcIXlRRBxD5m0JrW5FJdrbhHALZoO2DSHA63xXEVj~L7zGtPwJcbeQSQmJ8F1kV4bUU8Kfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During public comment at the Feb. 13 meeting, speaker Jennifer Susco accused the district communications team of violating First Amendment rights, breaking laws and making inappropriate remarks. She said records she had reviewed showed the communications team plotted to remove certain critics and \"stir up chaos,\" and she described a pattern she characterized as manufactured threats used to justify security measures.

Susco also criticized the district's installation of metal detectors, calling their deployment inconsistent and accusing the district of prioritizing perceived threats from some parent groups while failing to provide similar protections in schools where incidents of gun violence have occurred. She singled out differences between treatment of protesters in administrative buildings and requests for security in South Cobb schools.

What the board did

Susco's remarks were part of the public-comment period; the transcript does not record any immediate board response or action taken at the meeting in response to these allegations.

Clarifying details

- Susco said she had produced 740 pages of records that she said showed communications-team planning. The public transcript does not include those records or provide specifics about their contents.

- Susco alleged the communications team used internal language to \"move the line to cause 'fireworks' not for safety,\" and said staff joked about inappropriate conduct; the board did not address these allegations publicly during the meeting.

Ending

The speaker's allegations raise questions that the transcript shows were not resolved during the meeting; the district's public records and any ongoing legal or administrative reviews would be the next sources to consult for verification.","A public commenter accused the Cobb County Schools communications team of provoking disturbances and violating rights, and criticized the district's recent installation of metal detectors as hypocritical toward schools in different parts of the county.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6326126,"Parents tell Cobb board inadequate special-education staffing harmed a student; Georgia DOE cited rights violation",551,1882000,2433000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2325431-667deed1c428fe843485ba8b8ce9b2a5&start=1882&end=2433","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2325431-667deed1c428fe843485ba8b8ce9b2a5/thumbnail_1882000.jpg","/articles/6326126/Georgia/Parents-tell-Cobb-board-inadequate-special-education-staffing-harmed-a-student-Georgia-DOE-cited-rights-violation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326126-1b318e55e932ee3f9d72d197dd93477b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773733172&Signature=PyDPUo7IAxWydU3fKzHPBcBdQlO-xheOl1kpXnCS~58whLPEo41PKGid97eS-Ub9hgtJv-wlxeJtLCLfWh2apxgSORMP~eww9GkI9mYUJ95sTuQ5FXMB00Hje7vpLqjPBKYq~~7poukro21hqQf3PsC2QlpqeXqM-rbjaFZhMK7mrA4tIQjaNUbdwV3EtYuPDFHturHtU-wfmf3ufHe0DWpmTh2WqNHgGKfIjky7hVFjXrJUeelkl8UWTUPoliBKY8Ly9IcR7rH3JMDDUqgPcl~dvWPWf1uRMfTBkLoYfqvvfiWHj1LwKF4tiuu73KPC4chkmTalCeGKtbRKnPxTBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the Feb. 13 public comment period, parents and caregivers urged the Cobb County Board of Education to address special-education staffing shortages, inconsistent classroom supports and procedural failures they say harmed students.

Tova Ringlin, speaking as a \"special needs mom,\" said that over multiple years her child's classes lacked adequate staffing and behavioral supports, that requests for additional resources were ignored, and that classroom responses resulted in punitive measures including time spent in an office. Ringlin said her son was criminally charged after an incident that she described as a scripted line from a video game and said the juvenile court informed the family of those charges. She said the Georgia Department of Education determined the district had violated her son's rights to a free appropriate public education by not following his \"30 year intervention plan,\" and she said the family incurred legal costs as a result.

Another public commenter, Michael Garza, told the board that proposed changes at the state level could weaken 504 protections for students and criticized board and district leadership for what he described as insufficient focus on supports for students with disabilities. He urged that district priorities should focus on providing supports to enable student success rather than public-relations or other initiatives.

What was said and what the board did

Ringlin described a sequence of classroom interventions, use of a student-resource officer for a time-out, and subsequent juvenile charges. The speaker said the Georgia Department of Education found the district violated the student's rights to a free appropriate public education; the public spoken record did not include a district response to that specific finding during the meeting's public-comment period. Later, in his superintendent's remarks, Superintendent Ragsdale restated district commitments to serve all students and to follow state reporting guidelines; he did not address the specifics of Ringlin's complaint during the public portion of the meeting.

Clarifying details and limits

- Ringlin said documentation existed showing the classrooms needed more support but said additional staffing requests were ignored; the transcript did not include copies of those documents or the DOE finding.

- The transcript records Ringlin's statement that her son's intervention document was a \"30 year intervention plan.\" The public record did not supply a copy of the plan or clarify that phrase.

Ending

Parents urged the board to increase special-education staffing and support. The meeting record shows public concern and a cited state finding; the board took no immediate, public action during the meeting to address the specific complaint raised by Ringlin.","Multiple parents and caregivers used the Feb. 13 public comment period to press the Cobb County Board of Education on special-education staffing, procedural failures and protections for students with disabilities. One speaker said the Georgia Department of Education found the district had violated her child's right to a free appropriate public教育.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Superintendent Ragsdale defends book removals, outlines safety steps and immigration stance

Cobb County School Board extends superintendent contract, approves personnel and student-discipline actions, and opts out of HB 581

Speaker accuses district communications team of misconduct and criticizes metal-detector rollout

Parents tell Cobb board inadequate special-education staffing harmed a student; Georgia DOE cited rights violation