South runners sweep 2-AAAAA crowns

Effingham Herald

Published: Oct 28, 2019, 11:51 AM

GUYTON — The South Effingham cross country teams claims both Region 2-AAAAA titles last week in Jesup.

A handful of sophomores anchored the boys team. Cailan Howard (16:35) finishing second overall, Jacob Mitchell (17:15) clinched third place and Ronald Way (17:25) rounded out the top five. Joey Burdick (17:32) and Aiden Anderson (17:53) posted top-10 finishes.

“My guys — all those tenth graders — did really well,” South Effingham head coach Laura Soles said. “Cailan Howard, Ronald Way and Kevin Sosa are all sophomores and they are running nineteens. That is good depth.”

Soles said she has been impressed with the mental toughness of the boys’ team and is hopeful it will be just as determined on what will be a challenging and hilly course in Carrollton on Friday for the state meet.

“My top five on both teams are very focused,” she said.

Despite a trying week of practice, Soles said her squad met her expectations.

“I didn't expect anyone to do better because it's a hard course,” she said.

Soles is taking a careful approach this week regarding the way the teams practice. They will take their foot off the gas and their current times will determine how much she pushes them.

“I am in the process of pulling up their state times and I said the goal is to have a better time,” Soles said. “I told them to quit talking about what you can't do. They psych themselves out.

“We taper — meaning we go down a mile and we don't worry about speed work. We do quality days, but I have a couple of them that have aches and pains.”

The Lady Mustangs won the top three spots in their region meet. Cheyenne Ryan led the charge with a time of 21:22. Diya Patel (21:49), Melanie Ripley (21:51), Jailynn Tindall (23:54) and Sydney Sticha (24:20) finished in the top 15.

The Lady Mustangs averaged a time of 22:39, finishing 47 seconds faster as a team than second-place finisher Ware County.

“All of them last week were competitive,” Soles said. “This week they didn't have anyone around them, so they weren't very competitive. I told them when they got on the line, I am not worried today. I am concerned about state.”

As for the state meet, Soles said her team’s 10th-place finish last season was a sweet surprise. This season, she’s excited to see how the Mustangs will compete.

“I was surprised (about last year’s finish) because we had a lot of freshmen,” Soles said. “The top five are really close.”

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Effingham Schools Approve Property Tax Rate Increase

Comparison of the property tax impact for Effingham County homeowners under the approved millage rate increase, showing the difference from fiscal year 2025 to 2026.

School Property Tax Rate Increase — Comparison of the property tax impact for Effingham County homeowners under the approved millage rate increase, showing the difference from fiscal year 2025 to 2026.

Updated: Sep 19, 2025, 12:52 AM

Published: Sep 19, 2025, 12:53 AM

SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — The Effingham County Board of Education unanimously approved raising the property tax rate from 16.5 to 18.45 mills. For a homeowner with a $350,000 property, that’s about $22 more per month. The vote was 5-0.

Why the Increase is Needed

District officials said the adjustment is necessary to cover rising costs and remain competitive in attracting and retaining teachers and staff. More than 87% of the district’s budget goes to salaries and benefits for employees ranging from classroom teachers to bus drivers, nurses, counselors, paraprofessionals, and administrators.

Most of the increase is tied to an $8 million spike in required contributions to state benefit plans.

The state’s health and retirement benefits for certified employees — teachers — are going up 7% in 2026, finance director Lauren Cain, said. Benefits for non-certified employees — staff — are rising 36%. That’s a total of $8 million more in health and retirement benefits the district will have to cover.

Although the state is increasing funding to Effingham schools by $4 million, it will cover only about half the benefits hike, she said.

As of July 1, premiums for the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) have nearly doubled since FY2023, jumping from $945 to $1,885 per month per employee. In addition, the district’s contribution rate to the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) has increased from 20.78% to 21.91%.

To help offset those rising costs, the district voted to raise the millage rate.

Balancing Costs & Education

Superintendent Yancy Ford previously called the increase “an investment in every child’s future.” He said, “Smaller class sizes, highly qualified teachers, and strong support staff are all proven to raise student achievement. This millage rate increase allows us to continue building on our successes and to make sure every child in Effingham County has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.”

Ford also acknowledged the strain on taxpayers. “We don’t want to put the taxpayers in this position next year,” he said. He promised to “dissect the budget” and search for ways to “lower costs” while still doing what’s best for students. “We know people are feeling it,” he added.

Fiscal Accountability & Academic Record

While the millage rate itself rises about 11.5%, higher property values mean overall revenue collections will increase nearly 26%. School leaders say the additional funds will help preserve Effingham’s strong academic record, which includes a 90.7% graduation rate, above-average reading scores in elementary grades, and SAT results that top both state and national averages.

Ford emphasized accountability in managing taxpayer funds. Every dollar from this millage rate increase is an investment directly tied to student learning, he said.

Effingham Schools recently earned a 4.5 Financial Efficiency Star Rating from the Georgia Department of Education, ranking fourth out of 180 school systems statewide.

Public Concerns

About 20 residents attended the final public hearing before the vote. Several property owners, retirees on fixed incomes, and business owners voiced frustration over rising appraisals, cost of living increases, and tax abatements for industry.

Looking Ahead: ESPLOST Vote

Looking ahead, the district is preparing to ask voters in November to approve another ESPLOST (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax). If passed, funds would go toward capital projects such as facility upgrades and technology improvements.

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