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Board approves personnel report; superintendent highlights graduation gains and rebukes social-media praise of violence
Summary
The board approved the HR personnel report (including a principal retirement); Superintendent Ragsdale reviewed graduation and test participation gains, cited a "real" graduation rate of 99.2% for students who spent all four years in district high schools and criticized social-media posts by a small number of employees that appeared to celebrate political violence.
The Cobb County School District board on Oct. 16 approved a human-resources personnel report that included a principal-level retirement recommendation and heard extended remarks from Superintendent Ragsdale on student outcomes and staff conduct.
Keeli Bowen, introduced as the district’s chief HR officer, presented the personnel report and recommended approval of employment actions discussed in executive session. Bowen listed one principal-level action: the retirement of Dr. Barbara Swinney, principal of City View Elementary School, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Following a motion and a second (the second was recorded as Mr. Wheeler), the board approved the personnel report by raised-hand vote; the chair counted seven hands in favor and declared the report passed.
In superintendent remarks, Ragsdale offered condolences for a recently deceased Lassiter High School student and for Carol Kale, who had spoken at a prior leadership event. He noted multiple October observances — Bullying Prevention Month, Principal Appreciation Month, Red Ribbon Week and School Custodian Day — and praised principals and staff for supporting academic performance.
Ragsdale summarized an afternoon presentation on graduation rates and college-readiness testing, saying the district’s "real" graduation rate for students who spend all four years in a Cobb County high school is 99.2 percent. He contrasted that with the district’s rate under the federal definition, which he said is roughly 89.8 percent, and noted that 13 of 17 high schools increased their graduation rate year-over-year; South Cobb was cited with a 9.5 percentage-point gain. He also said the district increased the number of students taking the ACT and SAT by nearly 500, and that ACT/SAT performance led Metro Atlanta districts in the presenter’s summary.
Ragsdale addressed recent national and state commentary about discipline for educators whose social-media posts appeared to celebrate the murder of a public figure; he said the number of employees disciplined in Cobb was small, that calls suggesting the district does not support teachers were inaccurate, and reiterated that political violence is never appropriate or acceptable on school grounds.
The meeting continued with a consent agenda and was then adjourned.
