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EMS digs deep for big check to Make A Wish
0504 Make a wish EMS
Ramona Lovett, principal of Ebenezer Middle School, delivers a check for $3,014 to Athena Rivera of the Make A Wish Foundation. - photo by Photo provided

For the second straight year, Ebenezer Middle School was pleased to present a check for over $3,000 to Athena Rivera, Make A Wish Foundation representative.

The money was raised by students and staff during the school’s recent Coins For Kids Campaign. For two weeks in March, the students and staff brought donations to the school to support the Foundation’s efforts to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.  

The final “over-the-top” push came during the school’s pep rally on the last day of the campaign. With the total just shy of the $3,000 goal, everyone was asked to contribute as little as 25 cents. Ramona Lovett, principal, led the school with her contribution and Coach Dixon carried the bucket around the gym floor. Within minutes EMS staff and students raised approximately $200 and put the total at $3,014.   

These funds will be used for a child in Georgia. Campaign chair Cheryl Tobey promised that Ebenezer Middle School would aim higher next year.

Effingham School Board Approves $203M budget with Potential Property Tax Increase
2026 budget
This chart illustrates how the Effingham County School District’s $203 million general fund is allocated for fiscal year 2026, including spending on salaries, benefits, transportation, health services, and safety and security. (Courtesy of Effingham School District)
The Effingham County Board of Education approved a $203 million fiscal year 2026 budget Thursday night, reflecting an 11% increase over last year. The rise is largely due to an $8 million spike in health and retirement benefit costs for employees. To help cover the shortfall, the district may raise the property tax millage rate, potentially increasing homeowners’ taxes by up to 12 percent.
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