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	School board wrestles with Federal Jobs Fund money As they wait for more information for the state, the Effingham County Board of Education continues to weigh its options for spending the $2.1 million allocated from the federal Education Jobs Fund. The state of Georgia receive $315 million of the $10 billion fund to distribute to its 180 school districts for the purpose of paying school system employee salaries and benefits, with Effingham County receiving $2,131,833. The funds can replace salaries and benefits as well ... Read Article »
	BoE gets breathing room The Effingham County school system learned last week it likely will receive more than $2.1 million in federal funding to direct toward staff salaries and benefits. The expedited passing of the Education Jobs Fund released $10 billion for strapped states and school systems to use for k-12 employee salaries and benefits, which the government anticipates will save as many as 160,000 jobs. After taking 2 percent allowed for the state, the state Department of Education distributed ... Read Article »
	School board backs lawsuit The Effingham County school board has joined a statewide suit against the Georgia Charter School Commission. Nine school districts filed the lawsuit against a law giving the Georgia Charter School Commission control over charter school petitions. They are now appealing a decision from the Superior Court of Fulton County that ruled in favor of the Georgia Charter School Commission to the Georgia Supreme Court. And the Georgia School Boards Association and the Georgia School Superintendents Association are ... Read Article »
	ECHS has reason to celebrate Faculty and staff at Effingham County High School celebrated the school hitting the 80 percent graduation rate. Its graduation rate for 2009 was 77.8 percent. A banner and a cake for faculty and staff helped mark the achievement. Read Article »
	Starting the year together Pre-K teachers at Marlow Elementary School started off the year with units "All about Me" and "Families.” Parents and grandparents were invited to come read to the students during small group and circle time. Read Article »
	Georgia a winner in Race to the Top Georgia has been selected as a winner by the U.S. Department of Education for the second round of “Race to the Top” grants. The state is projected to receive $400 million over four years to implement its plan. “While this has seemed more like a marathon at times, now the real race begins,” said Gov. Sonny Perdue. “I want to thank our Race to the Top teams, including teachers, principals, superintendents and other education professionals, for ... Read Article »
	Rutland earns degree from Louisiana Tech James Brian Rutland of Springfield was awarded a doctor of philosophy at Louisiana Tech University’s summer quarter commencement. Commencement exercises were held Aug. 19, with diplomas awarded to 276 graduates. Read Article »
	STC offer building courses online SAVANNAH—This fall, students studying Construction Management will be able to take four of the required major courses online for the first time including Blueprint Reading, Construction Safety, Materials and Fasteners, and Construction Drafting I. These courses are required for both the diploma and associate degree in Construction Management. “We’re giving our students more options,” said department head and instructor Dan Krautheimer. “If someone can’t get to campus during the day, they’ll be able to take some ... Read Article »
	Schools to continue drug testing The Effingham County Board of Education approved a new student drug testing program at its Aug. 19 meeting that will subject five students from each high school to a screening every month during the school year. For the past three years, 10 Effingham high school students were drug tested each week with grant funds. Although the grant ran out, the board members believed the drug tests serve as a deterrent. “But I think the important thing here ... Read Article »
	Dental sealant program coming to SES Springfield Elementary School, in conjunction with Oral Health America: National Sealant Alliance and the Georgia Oral Health Prevention Program, will provide preventive dental procedures for eligible children attending the school. The program will start in September. Consent forms are being sent home with students and must be filled out and returned to the school in order for children to participate. Dental screening exams, cleaning, fluoride treatment and sealants will be provided as needed. A sealant ... Read Article »
	State FFA visits Several members of the state FFA officer team recently visited Honey Ridge Plantation. They were hosted by Sam Zemurray. Zemurray and Mose Mock, former FFA advisor, discussed cattle management. Read Article »
	ECHS FFA kicks off another year with annual peanut boil Aug. 12 marked the beginning of another exciting year for Effingham County High School FFA members. After school on Thursday, the FFA had its annual peanut boil. There were approximately 50 members and guests present for the meeting. ECHS FFA was very excited to have such a great turnout and to have Sen. Jack Hill and Reps. Ann Purcell and Jon Burns present to help kick off the 54th year of Effingham County High School ... Read Article »
	One sweet ride When the wheels on the school bus go round and round to take six students across the state to a competition, the trip gets expensive — especially if the chaperone isn’t licensed to drive a bus. Read Article »
	East Georgia College breaks ground on school’s first residential facility A longtime dream of student housing located on the campus of East Georgia College became reality on Thursday with a groundbreaking for a new 200 bed residential facility. Faculty, staff, students, EGC Foundation members, local legislators, University System guests, construction teams and friends of the college gathered in overwhelming numbers to support the addition of a student housing complex to the landscape of the college. The complex, located on North campus, will add a new dimension ... Read Article »
	Hudson tells students to put their lives in ‘check’ South Effingham High School students got the new school year off on the right foot Monday with a visit from Orrin “Checkmate” Hudson of Be Someone who encouraged them set up for success by being problem-solvers. “Most of the stuff I’m teaching young people … is that your position in life is as a problem solver and if you can solve problems, that’s how you get paid,” Hudson said. “The bigger the problem the more you ... Read Article »
	SEHS student attends USAF Honors Camp Rachel Orphanoudakis, a NJROTC cadet at South Effingham High School, attended the U.S. Air Force Honors Camp hosted by the University of New Mexico and the U.S. Air Force in Albuquerque, N.M. This program invites only 58 high school students from across the country annually, and the invitees are in the top 1 percent of the students in the JROTC program. The five days of camp involved outdoor leadership and team-building activities, airplane safety briefs, ... Read Article »
	Quick thinker Katlyn Davis from South Effingham Elementary School won the Quick Think-a-Thon held June 19 at the Sea Palms resort on St. Simons Island. Davis, the daughter of Allen and Magan Davis, won a $500 savings bond. The Quick Think-a-Thon is sponsored by local Exchange Clubs, including the Exchange Club of Effingham County. Read Article »
	School board reviews its own report card The Effingham County Board of Education reviewed the school system’s progress in an in-depth analysis of student performance, personnel effectiveness and the learning/working environment at its Aug. 4 meeting. The central office compiled information from the last four school years based on the balanced scorecard performance management design, which is traditionally applied to corporate strategy. “A board member wanted to get this started to get a snap shot of what we’re doing and look for areas of ... Read Article »
	School board approves later start times for some middle school games Kickoff for fall sports is closing in and for middle school stakeholders this year’s game times can be stretched a little farther than last year. The Effingham County Board of Education tweaked its athletics policy at their Aug. 4 meeting to allow flexibility in scheduling for middle school sports. The Georgia High School Association, the organization that governs interscholastic sports for most of the state, decided to allow local boards to determine game scheduling policies. “When I ... Read Article »
	Board of Regents adopts $2.1B budget A $2.1 billion fiscal year 2012 budget request approved by the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents includes new dollars to meet year over year student enrollment growth of 18,914 students.“This budget request mirrors the times,” said USG Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. “We are focusing our efforts and our budget request on our core mission of teaching, research and service and the need to serve the continued and significant increase in enrollment ... Read Article »
	A moving experience at GSU Georgia Southern University is preparing to meet, greet and check in more than 2,000 students to nine residence halls from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., today for the campus’ annual event, Operation Move-In. This decades-long tradition is intended to streamline the often stressful moving process for University students, and more than 200 volunteers from the faculty, staff, student organizations and the Statesboro business community plan to pitch in. Georgia Southern University President Brooks Keel and his ... Read Article »