A grand jury investigation concluded that the Cobb County school system had a “clear pattern” of not following its own purchasing policies in recent years.
The investigation stemmed from concerns over the district’s $12 million purchase of UV-sanitizing lights and hand-rinsing stations, and the AlertPoint crisis management system, which was hacked last year and triggered a districtwide lockdown. The lights and security system were both provided by companies with ties to David Allen, a Cobb businessman who died last year. Contracts with those companies were a focus for the grand jury, its report states.
The grand jury did not find any criminal violations.
“We appreciate the grand jury explicitly rejecting false allegations of criminal wrongdoing by the district and its staff,” the district said in a statement.
The report finalized last week recommended the state’s second-largest school system should modify its procurement policies so that large purchases require more review. Currently, the board must approve all purchases more than $200,000. The grand jury recommends lowering that threshold to $50,000.
It also recommended state lawmakers change procurement laws to also apply to school boards, and that a grand jury conduct an annual review of Cobb.
The body also admonished the school board for not operating as a “well-functioning” entity.
“The students, parents and the community deserve a high-functioning school board,” the report said.
The school board should review its Code of Ethics, it said — a suggestion also made by accreditation agency Cognia earlier this year.
The fiscal and operational concerns covered by the grand jury echo concerns first addressed in a special review of the district by Cognia. The agency initially found the board rushed into policy changes, didn’t thoroughly vet spending decisions and needed to improve effectiveness and trust. Months later, the agency rescinded most of its findings after reexamining evidence at the district’s request. It maintained that the board needed to learn to be more collaborative.
“It is unusual that the grand jury would directly quote and rely upon an accreditation report that has been publicly rescinded by the issuing organization,” the district said in its statement.
Stacy Efrat, a co-founder of grassroots group Watching The Funds-Cobb, said the grand jury, Cognia and their group are all asking the board to work together.
“We’ve been saying all along that we’re concerned about the spending practices and how the district isn’t bringing large purchase decisions to the board for a vote, and that’s exactly what the grand jury is recommending the district does,” Efrat said. “No one has accused them of a crime.”
The district is confident that its purchases follow applicable laws, policies and best practices, its statement said. Cobb’s procurement team has repeatedly earned national recognition for excellence, it added.
The grand jury findings released publicly this month build on data from four previous grand juries about the Cobb school board, the report states. The findings were first reported by the Marietta Daily Journal. The investigation examined contracts with the school system between 2015-2021.
The Cobb County District Attorney’s Office made an “initial inquiry” into the district’s $12 million purchase of sanitizing lights and hand-rinsing stations in March 2021.
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