Cobb County high schools recognize 69 National Merit semifinalists

Sixty-nine Cobb County students from nine high schools were named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Cobb County School District recently announced the local students who are among about 16,000 semifinalists from across the country. Those students advance in a competition to win scholarships totaling about $30 million.

Finalists will be announced several months from now.

Walton High School produced the most semifinalists among all Cobb schools this year, with 34 students earning the distinction. There were 21 semifinalists from Wheeler High School.