The Cobb County Board of Education voted Thursday to extend Superintendent Chris Ragsdale’s contract by an additional year.

The board’s four Republicans voted in favor of the contract extension, and its three Democrats voted against it.

Ragsdale’s contract now extends to Feb. 10, 2025.

“I appreciate the vote of confidence in the contract extension greatly,” Ragsdale said Thursday. “Cobb is the best place to teach, lead and learn.”

The contract extension was not on the agenda for the board’s February meeting.

Ragsdale has served as superintendent since 2015. His annual compensation includes a $350,000 base salary, 25 vacation days, a 12% employer contribution to a retirement fund and other benefits.

The board last voted in 2021 to extend Ragsdale’s contract to 2024. The vote was also divided along party lines at that time.

In November, the board amended the contract to give Ragsdale more power in dealing with his employers. Those changes — which weren’t made public until about a month later — are unusual among metro Atlanta superintendent contracts.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate against the war in Gaza and the detention of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil at Emory University in Atlanta on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The 30-year-old legal U.S. resident was detained by federal immigration agents last month. Emory is one of many schools across the nation with a student whose immigration status was recently terminated by the Trump administration. A judge issued a ruling late Friday that will temporarily protect mor than 100 internationals, including about two dozen in Georgia, from possible deportation. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Featured

Pinky Cole's Ponce City Market location in Atlanta, Georgia, 'Bar Vegan', during lunch time on April 5, 2024. (Jamie Spaar for the Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Credit: Jamie Spaar