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SEMS wins another title
1119 sems cheerleaders
Members of the SEMS cheerleading team are, front row, from left to right: Alaina Ricker, Kate Brennan, Taylor Neely, Caroline Dasher, Hannah McCann, Victoria Farrar, Lexi Murray and Emily Eddy; middle row:Shazi Edmonds, Kayla Harrelson and Lillie Grace Cuatt; back row: coach Hannah Darling, coach Ashley McVey, Emily Butler, Madison Hagan, Nikki Truelove, Brooke Donovan, Bailee Milne, Sarah Jones, Kourtney Harrleson, Mallory Henninger, coach Courtney Hall and coach Sara Beth Gaskin. - photo by Photo provided

The South Effingham Middle School competition cheer team won the region championship for the third consecutive year.

They competed at Southeast Bulloch Middle School on Nov. 7 and won by 39 points.

The girls performed to a theme called 3peat, which can be seen at youtu.be/eV7QWHrM5fM.

Ashley McVey has been the head coach for the winning team for the last five years. This was her final competition with the team.

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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