B.D. Elementary School awarded for its efforts to create a friendly environment

B.D. Lee Elementary was honored Monday with a Red Carpet award in recognition of its efforts to create a welcoming environment for school visitors.

B.D. Lee Elementary is among 285 schools that applied for the Red Carpet award last fall. Schools submitted a written application and were then screened by independent judges who rated how telephone callers and visitors were treated.

Winning schools receive an actual red carpet to display in their lobby.

B.D. Lee Elementary will maintain its Red Carpet status for three years. It is among 66 schools selected by the state to receive this year's award.

"We are very pleased and excited. We want our school to be a place where the community feels welcome," B.D. Lee Elementary Principal Sharon Jefferies said. "Our theme this year is 'Believing Is Achieving.' This award shows that if you do believe in something you can achieve it."

B.D. Lee Elementary and other schools statewide were judged on a variety of factors. These included the outside and inside appearance of the school campus, the way people were treated in person and over the telephone and the information and programs available for families and visitors.

Spartanburg artist Shane White painted a large mural in the main school lobby. The artwork is part of an ongoing fundraising effort by the Parent-Teacher Organization to complete a series of murals.

The murals will trace through pictures the education needed by students to succeed in life.

Red Carpet state coordinator Frank White said the program continues to generate considerable interest as evidenced by the large number of applicants this year.

"That shows schools understand how important parent and community support are to their success," White said. "Schools are genuinely interested in improving their customer service functions."