MARIETTA, Ga. — Cobb County parents have lost their battle over a school calendar controversy.
The Cobb County School Board addressed the debate between two calendar plans at a meeting Wednesday morning at the board's headquarters in Marietta. The board decided to table the issue and uphold its vote for the traditional calendar plan that parents were fighting against.
The meeting came just hours after close to 200 people squared off with a board member to debate the issue Tuesday night.
While at the town hall meeting, Channel 2's Erica Byfield also learned a team of parents and teachers were asking the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to get involved in the discussion.
Recently, the Cobb County School Board voted 4-3 in favor of the traditional calendar, which begins on Aug. 15.
"Because I said that I was for a later start date, I'm going to honor my word and support a later start date," board member Kathy Angelucci said.
Cobb County Schools Table Calendar Debate DISTRICT SURVEY: Majority Prefers Balanced Calendar
She told the crowd the choice is simple for her because the traditional calendar saves on utilities costs. Parents are still fighting for a balanced calendar, which begins Aug. 1. Last year, the board voted for a three-year trial of the balanced calendar but decided in February to replace it with the traditional calendar, in effect this fall.
"There is only so much data that you can pump into a kid's head before they go into overload," one parent said.
WSB-TV Cobb calendar parents Another one said, "There has never been any talk of any academic achievement in the considerations made."
On Tuesday night, Byfield confirmed that several parents and teachers sent a letter to SACS asking the organization's leadership to "convene a special review team" to decide if the Cobb County School Board's actions comply with the SACS standards.
"I don't think people are going to let it die, and I don't think they should let it die," said Cobb County School teacher Sharon Wallace.
"I hope that the representatives of SACS are more mature than people who sent that letter," said Cobb County resident David Chastain.
WSBTV
