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Students serve as Capitol pages
annah shearouse
Annah Shearouse of Effingham County High School served as a page for the day for state Rep. Jon Burns (R-Newington) on Jan. 26. Pictured are Rep. Burns, Shearouse and state Speaker of the House David Ralston. - photo by Photo provided

The cities of Rincon and Springfield, as well as Effingham County High School, were well represented at the state Capitol by ECHS students serving as pages.

Lauren Morgan, Olivia Spradley and Kirstin Zarkadas paged for Rep. Bill Hitchens (R-Rincon) on Jan. 26, while Annah Shearouse, Kaelyn Decker and Morgan Duff were pages for Rep. Jon Burns (R-Newington).

While being pages, the young ladies were able to meet the Speaker of the House David Ralston and Gov. Nathan Deal.

Through the PAGE program with the Georgia House of Representatives, students 12 years of age and older assist their state representative for the day.

While at the Capitol, students deliver notes from constituents, lobbyists and other individuals and guests to representatives on the House floor. 

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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