Latest news with #ChrisRagsdale
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cobb County schools is ‘not going to invest' in storage for cellphones, superintendent says
Georgia lawmakers passed legislation to ban student access to phones during the legislative session. Now, the Cobb County School District says it won't be investing its budget into storage for phones at its schools. Cobb County School Superintendent Chris Ragsdale gave the update to parents, the school board and other community members at a meeting on Thursday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'We will continue to communicate with parents throughout the school year as how that implementation is going to look. I can say that we are not going to invest any money into storage solutions for cellphones. The law allows us to determine what that storage place is going to be. And the storage place is going to be in a student's backpack or purse or pocketbook,' Ragsdale said. RELATED STORIES: A ban on cell phones in Georgia Schools heads to the governor's desk A bill banning cell phones in school for kids in K-8 is one step closer to becoming law Georgia student phone, tablet ban passes House vote, heads to state Senate Ban on student phones in Georgia public schools back up for review in House Education Committee Schools participating in cellphone lock-up pilot program says discipline issues are down The law in question won't take effect until July 2026, giving districts time to come up with new policies and enact them. Policy decisions have a January 2026 deadline, with additional months for implementation. For Cobb County's schools, Ragsdale said the district is going to update the student code of conduct and ensure all students and parents know the new rules. 'We will be making updates to the student code of conduct so that all students will be aware, as will parents, what the punishment would be for that,' Ragsdale said. 'We are certainly going to adhere to the law and follow the law as we always do. But the bottom line is we're going to be focused on having school.' The phone ban passed the legislation as the 'Distraction-free Education Act,' which would block students in kindergarten through eighth grade from having phones out or accessible while in class. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
Cobb County adds new gun and explosive-sniffing dogs to schools
The Brief Cobb County Schools is taking new measures to boost safety just weeks after a deadly incident involving a student and a gun. The county announced that it will be hiring two Vapor Wake dogs to search for concealed firearms and explosives. Cobb County currently spends over $35 million on school safety annually. COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Cobb County Schools are taking new measures to protect students after a deadly incident in January involving a student with a gun. On Thursday, the school district announced plans to add a new layer of protection to keep students safe. The backstory On the afternoon of Jan. 15, Lindley Middle School in Mableton was swarmed by police after a report of a shooting inside one of the bathrooms. Police said a student used a gun to harm herself. The Cobb County Police Department and Cobb County School Police quickly responded, securing the campus and initiating a lockdown to protect students and staff. The student, whose identity has not been disclosed, was airlifted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in critical condition. A week later, police confirmed that she succumbed to her injuries. READ MORE: Lindley Middle School shooting: Student dies after shooting self on campus, police say The tragic event left students, parents, and staff shaken and had some in the community calling for stronger safety measures to prevent weapons from entering schools. What we know This week, Cobb County Schools announced that they will be adding two Vapor Wake canine detection teams through a partnership with the company Global K9. These dogs will be added to the K9s already patrolling Cobb County classrooms. Unlike the traditional detection dogs, the two new additions are "specially trained to continuously sample the air for concealed firearms and explosives, tracking potential threats even while in motion," officials said. The Vapor Wake teams are used at Atlanta Braves games, universities, arenas, theaters, and the United Nations. The idea is to speed up the response to any potential threats. What they're saying "We want our families to see for themselves that our schools are the safest in our community," Board Chair David Chastain said in a release announcing the dogs. "These canine teams are another example of us identifying and addressing threats before they happen." At a board meeting on Thursday, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said that the district will "Be a the forefront of ensuring the safety of our students and team" while they are on the county's campuses. "As we spend over $35 million on safety per year, other than your home, Cobb's schools continue to be the safest environment in our county, and we are confident Vapor Wake dogs will make our schools even safer," Ragsdale said. Big picture view The new dogs will soon be added to the county's multi-layered security approach in its schools. The Cobb Shield program includes a 24/7 tip line, a crisis alert system, and the Evolv screening system. The Source FOX 5's Marc Teicher reported this story out of Cobb County. Additional information for this report came from a release by Cobb County Schools and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cobb County School District improving security with ‘cutting edge detection capabilities'
The Cobb County School District is adding a new layer of protection for students and staff with two new K-9 officers. 'What's different about the vapor wake dogs is they can alert on a moving object. meaning if a person has a weapon in their backpack and they are walking down the sidewalk the K-9′s can pick up on that scent,' Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said. Channel 2 Action News Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke exclusively with Ragsdale about this new safety initiative that he believes will help prevent school violence. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'They can pick up that trail up to 15 minutes after the item has gone through the area,' Ragsdale said. On Thursday, Superintendent Ragsdale introduced the vapor wake canine detection team to board members and the community. Unlike traditional detection dogs, these K-9′s are trained to sample the air for concealed firearms, explosives and more. TRENDING STORIES: 'A legacy of dedication:' Community mourns sudden death of Duluth officer Ex-GA sheriff lieutenant submitted timesheets for off-duty work. Officials say he never showed up 'Real Housewives' Teddi Mellencamp says she has 'multiple tumors' on brain, undergoes surgery The district partnered with Global K9 Protection Group to get the K-9′s. The company provides hundreds of K-9′s to sports teams, hospitals and more. They cost the district about $40,000. School officials hope to get the K-9′s in Cobb Schools as soon as possible. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
