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