Three Burke County schools were recognized Thursday morning by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for being outstanding nutrition environments.

Nicole Jones teaches at Goshen Elementary School, and is this week’s Golden Apple Award Winner

Karma Hall teaches at Southside Elementary School, and is this week’s Golden Apple Award Winner

Patricia Robinson teaches at Headstart in Augusta, and is this week’s Golden Apple Award Winner

Columbia County students will not be watching President Obama’s “back to school” address next week. The President was planning on making a webcast available to schools, nationwide, next Tuesday. But so far, Columbia County’s Superintendent, Charles Nagle, has yet to receive any official word about it. So, in his words, it’ll be “business as usual.“

Augusta Commissioners are planning to again talk TEE Center. The trade center, and neighborhood redevelopment programs have been stuck in the mud since May. City leaders have agreed to form a committee to hammer out a deal and that could have been thanks to the pressure from a local businessman. WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

Saturday Commissioner Calvin Holland announced that he would not be seeking re-election this fall. This comes just after another commissioner announced the same decision last week. Count on our Fraendy Clervaud. He has the story.

Could a new site bring new life to Augusta’s TEE Center with the Augusta Commission deadlocked on the project some look to a new location as a possible solution.Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

Is Augusta being too generous with it’s taxpayer discounts?

It’s been Augusta’s policy for years…paying your tax bill early, you get a one percent discount. For most taxpayers, it’s a little savings, but it adds up to a big cost for local governments. WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

The average SAT scores for South Carolina’s graduating seniors are down - falling this year in all three test sections for a nine-point drop. The College Board reported Tuesday the state’s class of 2009 scored a combined average of 1,452. That’s 59 points below the national average, which saw a two-point decline from last year to 1,509.

Georgia high school students performed worse on the SAT college-entrance exam than their predecessors for the third year in a row. According to data released Tuesday by the test’s administrators, The College Board, Georgia’s mean score on the test is 1,460 this year, a six-point drop since last year. That’s compared to the national mean score of 1,509.

Now that school is off and running, Richmond County says most of the school bus issues are worked out.

Augusta Commissioner Betty Beard says she will not run for re-election. Beard says, after six years on the board, she wants to focus on other opportunities and give someone else the chance.

A new study shows nearly 65 percent of students who graduated from a Georgia high school in 2008 enrolled in college.

USC Aiken Ranks Number One Among Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the South by U.S.News & World Report for the sixth time

It’s more budget cuts for the Richmond County School System. This time, the Richmond County Board of Education will have to trim close to $900,000. Count on our Fraendy Clervaud for the story.

Clemson University says it’s welcoming a record number of freshman this year. The Greenville News reported Tuesday that the school expects a class of more than 3,300 freshman for the fall semester. That’s up about 400 students from the total admitted in recent years.

In a WJBF News Channel 6 School Report, a new school year is underway in Aiken County…students went back to class Monday morning. There a few changes, this year to the cell phone policy, as well as scheduling changes. We will have more on the first day of school in Aiken County, as well as how the tight school budget has affected different areas of the school system, in our Monday evening newscasts.

One South Carolina university will be holding an early class to train its new students how to make smart choices. About 1,800 incoming freshmen and 700 transfer students at Coastal Carolina University are learning about the initiative during a Monday convocation.

Five organizations have filed petitions with the state’s Charter School Commission to open virtual charter schools in the state.

The University of Georgia is expecting more than 6,300 new undergraduate students this fall. That number includes more than 4,700 freshmen, who moved on to campus this week. It also includes 1,600 transfer students.

According to our news partner, “The Aiken Standard”, The Aiken County School District’s technology department has pushed forward with a new digital student data management system that will provide online parental access for their children’s grades, attendance records and other data.

It’s creating a great sense of urgency, after months of fighting, and little progress. Augusta city leaders are scheduled to vote on the new trade center, next week, but this time, a ‘no action’ could mean the loss of a downtown hotel. WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

Parents say they’re concerned their children are riding overcrowded buses, in many cases standing on the bus to and from school. The district says they’re working to correct transportation issues. WJBF News Channel 6’s Paige Tucker reports.

Columbia County is back to school, and at least one group of faculty is excited to get back to the grind. As News Channel 6’s Paige Tucker reports, a brand new, $20 million building may have something to do with it.

Thousands of students in Richmond County made their way back to school on Monday morning. This year, the school year may be a little different, as officials deal with tighter than usual budgets. We will have more on how the first day went on our evening newscasts.

A new high school in Columbia County is set to open its doors when school starts on Monday. Count on WJBF News Channel 6’s Fraendy Clervaud as he takes a look at the new Grovetown High School.

Money challenges are facing school leaders in Richmond County. The school system is more than $7 million in the hole. Dr. Dana Bedden, Superintendent for the Richmond County School System, says ongoing state budget cuts will leave Richmond County schools without enough resources to properly educate students. Dr. Bedden stopped by WJBF News Channel 6 to discuss the issues faced on our Wednesday noon newscast with Mary Morrison.

State budget cuts forcing school districts across the state to scramble to find ways to do the job with millions less. The Columbia County Board of Education voted Tuesday night to adjust the calendar for teacher furloughs. Those days will be moved to the week of Thanksgiving.