Cobb County Board of Education elects Chastain chair, Cristodoro vice chair; approves 2025 meeting schedule

At a special called meeting on Jan. 7, 2025, the Cobb County Board of Education elected David Chastain chair and John Cristodoro vice chair and approved the board's 2025 meeting calendar by a 5-2 vote, the board disclosed during its reorganization session.

The votes set leadership and the official schedule for the coming year. The meeting included multiple failed amendments to the calendar concerning separate work sessions, a board retreat, and a date change; each amendment was defeated by 4-3 margins before the board adopted the superintendent's proposed calendar.

Several newly elected and re-elected members were sworn into office at the start of the special meeting by local judges. Outgoing leadership then opened nominations for officers; Mr. David Chastain and Leroy J. Hudgins were the nominees for chair. Mr. Chastain received four votes to Hudgins' three and was declared chair. For vice chair, members nominated Trey Hutchins and John Cristodoro; Cristodoro received four votes to Hutchins' three and was declared vice chair.

The board then took up Action Agenda Item No. 1, the recommendation to approve the 2025 board meeting schedule. The superintendent presented the calendar and recommended board approval. Mr. Randall Scammerhorn moved to approve the calendar as presented; Mr. Brad Wheeler seconded. After multiple amendment attempts by Ms. Sailor, the board voted on the calendar as presented and approved it 5-2.

Ms. Sailor proposed three separate amendments that were all defeated: an amendment to add separate work and voting sessions so work sessions would not occur on the same day as voting sessions (vote on amendment: 3 in favor, 4 opposed; amendment defeated); an amendment to place a board retreat on the calendar (3-4; defeated); and an amendment to change the February meeting date because Ms. Sailor said she would be unavailable (3-4; defeated).

During discussion, Ms. Sailor argued for separating work sessions from voting sessions to "help us, further delve into the information and communicate with constituents about the work that we do." The superintendent explained the role of the Facilities and Technology Committee and the timeline for committee representation, saying the committee meets quarterly and that, under current policy, the committee's role is to affirm that projects promised in the referendum are completed as identified, rather than to provide broad input on projects. The superintendent told the board the Facilities and Technology Committee would hold its first meeting after the February board meeting and urged members to decide whether to keep or replace their committee representatives by the February meeting.

The superintendent also told the board the district was monitoring winter weather and said, "We are watching the weather forecast for Friday. We're staying very attentive to that, and we intend, if a call needs to be made, you will hear about the call Thursday prior to Friday," adding that the district would announce any related changes to extracurricular activities when the forecast gets closer.

Formal outcomes from the reorganization and calendar vote: David Chastain was elected chair (4-3 plurality), John Cristodoro was elected vice chair (4-3 plurality), and the 2025 board meeting calendar was approved 5-2. Several proposed amendments to the calendar failed by 4-3 votes. The board adjourned following completion of the reorganizational business.

What happens next: board members must decide trustees for the Facilities and Technology Committee by the February meeting; the committee is scheduled to meet in the last week of February to elect officers and provide its monthly liaison report to the board.