Cognia Review
Cobb families know the Cobb County School District has a reputation for excellence, as Cobb’s students consistently perform better than their peers. You could live anywhere, yet over 200,000 parents choose to raise their children in Cobb. You know that a Cobb education gives your children a competitive advantage for scholarships, college, future employment, and life.
Once again, Cobb families can feel even more confident their students are receiving a high-quality education following the most recent accreditation review by Cognia, one of Cobb’s accrediting agencies and one of the largest in the world.
After recently completing an Accreditation Engagement Review, which took almost one year to complete, every school in Cobb County has been accredited for an additional six years.
Vision
Inspiring life-long learners who will positively impact their communities.
Mission
To serve our community by embracing cultural diversity, and fostering relationships that creates opportunities, builds character, and promotes success, leading to life-long achievements.
The staff of Pebblebrook High School recently revised its School Strategic Plan (SSP). In writing the plan, staff members considered the State Standards and the school district's SSP. Please read the school improvement strategies listed on the condensed SSP and provide us with input. We look forward to hearing from you. Feedback may be sent to Dana.Giles@Cobbk12.org.
History of Pebblebrook High School
1963-64: Pebblebrook was founded in the fall of 1963; it was built on a 29-acre plot of land purchased from Mr. H. H. Buckner which was thought to have been the site of an Indian village. The selection of the location, two miles above the Chattahoochee River near the intersection of Buckner and Pebblebrook Roads, appears to have been determined by the availability of land.
During the first year of operation, Pebblebrook Junior High School, as it was known in the beginning, had an enrollment of approximately 900 ninth graders, and a staff of 37. The students came to Pebblebrook from 14 elementary schools in the general area south of Jones Shaw and Cherokee Roads.
1964-65: The student body consisted of seventh, eighth, and ninth graders, and a staff of 47. It was necessary to use four mobile units to provide adequate classroom space for the growing student body. Mr. O. L. Parker was principal and Mr. Peyton McQuary was assistant principal.
In the spring of 1964, the question arose as to whether Pebblebrook would remain a junior high school or become a senior high school. It was decided that the school would become a senior high, while retaining the ninth grade to relieve the crowded conditions in the junior high schools.
1965-66: The freedom of choice plan was first used and Pebblebrook added a junior class of about 60 students. The total enrollment was 750 with a staff of 30. The mobile classrooms were removed during this year, and a shop was added to the facility. Mr. O. L. Parker was principal and Mr. Peyton McQuary was assistant principal.
1966-68: Pebblebrook became a full-fledged high school with a senior class of 90. There were also additions to the school's athletic facilities. Construction of a combination football, baseball, and track field was begun. A number of clubs were organized and several advanced courses were offered for the first time. A change in the administration occurred at the end of the year as Mr. O. L. Parker retired. Mr. Peyton O. McQuary, the assistant principal at that time, was made principal, and Mr. Edward Bowers, a math teacher, was made the assistant principal.
1968-69: Pebblebrook played the first football game on its own home field.
1969-70: Pebblebrook had approximately 700 students with 39 faculty members. Approximately 150 students graduated in June 1970, including Virginia Ward, the first African-American graduate.
History of Pebblebrook's Buildings
Main Building:
Pebblebrook moved into the building that had been Lindley Junior High School in the fall of 1975. It was previously founded in the fall of 1963 on the property on Pebblebrook Circle as a middle school and finally became a high school by 1966. The main building at that time included the front two wings, the central hall, and about half of the current cafeteria/library media center area. The current advisement center was originally the media center and guidance office. There was no floor in some of the original area that currently houses the media center; there were classrooms around the outer walls and the central area was open to the cafeteria below. Eventually a slab floor was built and the media center was moved to this open area. Later the media center was given walls.
In 1980, a 2-story wing was added next to the cafeteria that housed the language arts classes on the bottom floor and the social studies classes on the main floor. Science classes and labs were located in the front wing to the west and math classes to the east. In 1992 the math classes were moved to eight trailers where the existing bus port is, and that hall became the 9th Grade Center. The trailer park became known as “Morgantown” since Coach John Morgan was the first to move into one. The front of the building was renovated in 1992-93 to match the newly-built theatre. There were also four trailers located on the hill where the Betty Gray building sits.
In 1997, when the Jackson building was complete, math and science classes were relocated. The front wing then housed business classes on the west and foreign language and special education classes on the east. When the bus port was built, the 6 trailers were moved to the student parking lot which eventually held 18 trailers. With the addition of the Betty Gray building in 2004, world languages moved to the bottom floor and special education moved to the main floor of the 2-story wing. The front wing to the east now houses additional classes of math, special education, and world languages. Also in 2004 the main office area was renovated and enlarged, and in the fall of 2005 the media center and the cafeteria was doubled in size.
The Morgan Gym:
The “old” gym was part of the existing property when Pebblebrook moved here in 1975. This was the only gym until the addition of the new gym in 1997. Coach John Morgan was a math teacher and basketball coach at Pebblebrook for 15 years. He retired in 1999 because of health problems and died that summer. The gym was named in his memory on December 1, 2000. In the past it housed classrooms for art, ROTC, health, industrial arts, drama (the original Black Box Theatre), and technology. Today it houses classrooms for ROTC and health.
The T&I Building:
This building was open in 1976 for Pebblebrook’s second year at this location. The bottom floor housed the band and chorus classes and business classes were on the second floor. Other years it housed classes for Foreign Language, Special Education, and the Gifted Program. When Pebblebrook became the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts in 1983, a room on the bottom floor was renovated as a dance studio. With the addition of the new buildings on the campus in 2005, this building was renovated for Technology and Industry classes. It now houses a Salon Services classroom and lab and a Graphics Arts classroom on the bottom floor and on the top floor classes are offered in Child Development and Criminal Justice.
The Earl Reece Theatre:
Ground-breaking for the theatre began in 1988 and was completed by the fall of 1990. Earl Reece was the Fine Arts division chair and Performing Arts director during his 14 years at Pebblebrook. He retired in the summer of 2004 and was honored by having the theatre named after him.
The Jackson Gym/Building:
The new gym and classroom annex was finished by the fall of 1997. It houses student locker rooms and coaches’ offices along with classrooms for math, art, and science labs. Ms. Kay Jackson was a PE teacher, coach, department chair, and administrator for 25 years. She served as principal for her last 3 years. She died of ovarian cancer in 1995 during her tenure as principal. The gym and adjacent classrooms were named in her memory.
The Betty Gray Building:
The Performing Arts wing of the newest annex was completed in January 2004. Students helped to move furniture, music stands, and supplies into the new building so classes could begin. This wing houses classrooms for chorus, ensembles, orchestra, band, and dance and practice studios. The central hall houses drama classrooms, the Black Box Theatre, and offices. The other wing was finished by the fall of 2004 and houses classrooms for Social Studies and English. The building was named to honor Betty Gray, long-time educator, school board member, and supporter of Pebblebrook and the South Cobb area.
