The Cobb County School District sued the Cobb County Board of Commissioners on June 16, 2026, to stop schools money from being taken through higher administrative fees tied to tax collection. The district said the case is aimed at protecting students, teachers and taxpayers in Cobb County.
Randy Scamihorn On Cobb Schools
Since 2011, the commission has charged the district more than $130,000,000 in administrative fees to reimburse the county for collecting school taxes. In fiscal year 2026, that fee will exceed $13,000,000, and county officials intend to raise it to more than $20,000,000 next year.
Board Chair Randy Scamihorn said, "Our responsibility is to protect the students, teachers, and taxpayers of Cobb County," while Board Vice Chair David Chastain said, "This lawsuit is about the hundreds of teachers and thousands of students who would be affected."
David Chastain Says Classrooms Lose
Chastain also said, "The Commission is trying to take millions of dollars from our classrooms for a tax increase, disguised as ‘administrative fees.’" He added, "Cobb’s parents want smaller class sizes, not more ‘fees.’"
The district said the fee increase would be equivalent to roughly 130 teachers' salaries and benefits in fiscal year 2026 and about 200 teachers' salaries and benefits next year. It said 94% of its funds go to instruction and that it has one of the lowest per-pupil costs in the metro area.
Cobb County Fee Increase
The district said the money at issue would come from teacher salaries, smaller class sizes, sports programs, and band and orchestra programs. It also said Cobb students are already funded less than their peers in most neighboring counties, putting the fee fight at the center of how school dollars are collected and spent.
