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Numbers brighten for BoE
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December proved a successful month for the Effingham County Board of Education budget, gaining more than $8 million in property tax collections, effectively eliminating a November general back account deficit of $3 million.

“Tax collections was really substantial in December,” Ron Wilson, financial director for the Effingham school district, said at the BoE’s Feb. 2 meeting. “Under tax collections the month-to-date is $8,302,882. That number is really a very strong collection for the month considering we were only here three weeks; we went out for Christmas.”

At the end of December, the uncollected balance for the budget was $10, 822,415.

For the complete story, see Tuesday's print edition of the Effingham Herald.

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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