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Under a spell
Vacuous gives RES 5th grader county title
spellingbee1
Jasmyne Kaye, a fifth grader from Rincon Elementary School, listens intently to the word being called out in Tuesday night’s countywide spelling bee. Ryan Nance, a sixth grader at Ebenezer Middle School, waits his turn. Kaye won the bee, and Nance finished as runner-up. - photo by Photo by Calli Arnold
Calli Arnold
Updated: Jan 28, 2011, 3:38 AM
Published: Jan 28, 2011, 3:42 AM

The evening began easily enough.

“Water. W-A-T-E-R. Water,” said Jasmyne Kaye, contestant number one, a fifth-grader from Rincon Elementary School.

By the end of the first round, there were two who didn’t make it.

Round two spiced things up a bit with silent consonants and more and more left the stage.

As Judith Shuman, student/professional learning coordinator for the Effingham County Board of Education called out the words, ascending in difficulty, cameras were raised, flashed and lowered from the crowd of family and friends supporting the 17 contestants as they visualized and sounded out each syllable.

For more, see Friday's edition of the 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)
Updated: Jun 20, 2025, 1:18 PM
Published: Jun 20, 2025, 12:51 PM
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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