Sixteen students from elementary and middle schools throughout Effingham County School District competed on January 20, 2026, in the annual system-wide spelling bee at the Effingham College and Career Academy. 

Elementary students competing included: Luca Martino (Blandford Elementary School), Nayelis Cruz-Ortiz (Ebenezer Elementary School), Milennah Villarreal-Collazo (Guyton Elementary School), Camden Feal (Marlow Elementary School), Addison Thomas (Rincon Elementary School), Levi Schinzer (Sand Hill Elementary School), Layne Hart (South Effingham Elementary School), and Benjamin Overton (Springfield Elementary School). 

Participants from middle schools included Brayden Reed and Payton Estep from Ebenezer Middle School; Alexis Culbertson, Evelyn Cochran, and Arianna Hahn from Effingham County Middle School; and Julian Zapata Carlo, Khloe LeBlanc, and Jasmine Le from South Effingham Middle School.

After numerous rounds and eliminations, including a vocabulary round, the contest was narrowed to two competitors: Nayelis Cruz-Ortiz and Khloe LeBlanc. As the rules provided, after a missed word, the finalist must correctly spell the next two words. Khloe LeBlanc was able to successfully spell two consecutive words for the win.

Khloe LeBlanc will represent the Effingham County School System at the Region 8 Spelling Bee on February 28, 2026, at the Yamacraw Performing Arts Center in Savannah. Nayelis Cruz-Ortiz will serve as the Effingham County School System’s alternate representative.

Mrs. LaToya Jones, Human Resources Coordinator, was the official “caller” for the event. Mrs. Anna Barton, Curriculum Director and system Spelling Bee Coordinator served as the Mistress of Ceremonies. The judges were Mr. Gregg Miles,Technology Coordinator, Dr. Misty Duncan, Elementary Curriculum Coordinator, and Mrs. Diane Owens, High School Curriculum Coordinator from the Effingham County Board Of Education. Mrs. Lisa Byrd, Administrative Assistant, served the Spelling Bee through preparation, registration, and program support. A special thanks to our therapy dogs, Cyber, Bowie, and Junie, and their handlers, Mrs. Kate Keith, Mrs. Traci Whitaker, and Mrs. Stacey Reid for providing support at the bee.