Four Aiken County Schools Among 2010 Red Carpet Winners

COLUMBIA - Schools across South Carolina were honored Monday with Red Carpet awards to recognize their success at creating family-friendly school environments and providing excellent customer service.

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex announced the 124 winners of this year’s awards, which have become highly prized by South Carolina schools. Winning schools will receive actual red carpets to display in their lobbies.

“When you see a family-friendly school that emphasizes customer service, that school is much more likely to enjoy strong community support,” Rex said. “That’s important because community involvement can play a big role in a school’s academic success.”

A total of 262 schools began the Red Carpet award application process last fall. Applicants provided written details about their family-friendly philosophies and environments, along with the methods used to promote and self-evaluate those efforts. They also were required to include copies of their school’s communication plan.

Schools that passed the written application phase were then screened by independent judges who rated how telephone callers and visitors were treated. Judges did not identify themselves during telephone calls or site visits, and site visits were not announced in advance.

Winning schools receive red carpets with the state seal to display in their lobbies, and they maintain their recognition status for a three-year period.

This year’s recipients, the largest number since the program began in 2001, included four child development centers, six primary schools, 74 elementary schools, 22 middle schools, 14 high schools, one technical school, and three special schools.

Red Carpet coordinator Frank White said Greenville County schools led the awards parade with 15 winners. Richland District 2 and Spartanburg District 7 had six winners each, while Berkeley, Kershaw, Lexington District 1, Oconee and Richland District 1 had five each.

“The record number of applicants this year shows pretty clearly that schools understand the importance of customer service,” White said. “As local districts struggle to absorb dramatic budget cuts, schools realize that the support of their families and communities will be more important than ever. And the first step to building that support is creating a school environment that’s welcoming and inviting.”

Staff members from the Department of Education and school district personnel from across the state volunteered to take part in the judging process.

The Red Carpet Schools initiative was one of only two programs in the nation to receive a Distinguished Single Project Award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) in 2003. The program has also been featured in NSPRA’s monthly newsletter as well as the monthly newsletter of the National Elementary Principals Association.

Click here to see the full list of the 2010 Red Carpet winners.