Many good and valid points. A couple of observations I have noticed.
The schools in Paulding County started a policy of giving the students "make-ups", "second chances" , etc. to raise grades. Maybe Cobb demands excellence the first time.
Also, from hearing teachers and parents talk, there used to be more emphasis on academic achievement at EPHS then recently.
I'm sure many of the points mentioned earlier led to this decline in the education progress. It all depends on the foundation set up by the elementary and middle schools and set in motion by the leadership.