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Superintendent criticizes activist-organized student walkouts, warns of safety and disciplinary consequences
Summary
Superintendent Mr. Ragsdale told the board that protests organized by outside political groups prompted disruptive student walkouts, called the actions dangerous and estimated district costs of the incidents at "at least $150 to $200,000." He said the district would uphold discipline policies and protect classrooms from political activity.
Superintendent Mr. Ragsdale used the board's Feb. 12 voting session to criticize what he described as politically organized student walkouts, saying district leaders had documented adult coordination that sought to disrupt schools.
Ragsdale told the board that groups including Liberation Atlanta and the Party for Socialism "specifically targeted students and schools across Georgia," and he said the actions were "not student driven protests" but rather organized by adults. He said those encouraging students to participate were "well funded" and that some public posts by local politicians encouraged the walkouts and urged the board to excuse participants from code-of-conduct consequences.
"Children leaving school grounds without permission and without supervision during the school day is one of the most dangerous things they can do," Ragsdale said. He warned of disciplinary consequences and college-admissions implications, saying colleges increasingly review student social-media and discipline records.
Speaking to financial and operational impacts, Ragsdale said the district did not yet know the exact cost of the protest day but estimated it would cost "at least $150 to $200,000." He described instances of property damage, students driving on campus and refusing staff direction, characterizing the acts as disruptive to learning.
Ragsdale framed the district's approach as protective of a politically neutral learning environment: "Our schools are about education, not indoctrination," he told the board, adding that parents are "the first and foremost educator" for their children. He urged that schools should foster critical thinking rather than serve as political battlegrounds.
The meeting transcript contains Ragsdale's assertions and estimates; the board did not record an on-the-spot rebuttal or present alternate evidence during the session. The superintendent referenced documentation from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and material posted on the groups' websites but did not present those documents in the meeting record.
