30 FORECAST 2022 EDUCATION
SPLOSTs new and old bring new and
improved facilities to Cobb, Marietta
schools this year
By: Hunter Riggall
Cobb’s reputation for well-performing schools
has made it a popular choice for Georgians looking
to start a family. In 2021, those trends continued,
even as the pandemic and politics sowed division
and made headlines.
With 106,970 students, the Cobb County School
District is one of Georgia’s largest. About 14% of all
Cobb residents are children enrolled in CCSD. e
district is also Cobb’s top employer, with more than
17,000 workers.
e much smaller Marietta City Schools educates
the public-school attending children of the city of
Marietta, with 8,690 students and approximately
1,200 employees.
Much of the funding for local schools comes
from the Education Special Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax. Cobb voters have approved six of these
taxes, the most recent in November 2021.
But Ed-SPLOST V is the tax cycle still running
its course. Approved by voters in 2017, it collects a
1% sales tax to fund schools through 2023.
In the Cobb school system, a Campbell High
School classroom addition and theater is being
wrapped up. Other SPLOST V projects under
construction are the old East Cobb Middle School
demolition (to be replaced by a new elementary
school, Eastvalley), a new theater for Osborne High,
a new gym, theater and classrooms for Pebblebrook
high and a new gym and career, technical and
agricultural upgrades for Sprayberry High.
In the Marietta school system, most SPLOST V
projects are complete, but still under construction
are a new roof for the Marietta Sixth Grade
Academy gym, as well as painting and ooring
upgrades, press box roofs and paving of the
transportation parking lot at Marietta Middle.
Enrollment in both systems remains below prepandemic
levels as of December 2021.
Pearson Middle School sta welcome students into the newly opened
school for the rst day of the school year on Aug. 2, 2021. - MDJ