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By Jed Blackwell
Editor
Chapman High School was honored Monday with the state’s Red Carpet Award.
Forty-two schools were honored to recognize their success at creating family-friendly school environments and providing excellent customer service.
State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex announced the winners of this year’s awards, which have become highly prized by South Carolina schools. The schools will receive actual red carpets to display in their lobbies.
“Schools that are parent-friendly, schools that have strong customer service, are more likely to be supported by their communities,” Rex said. “Community involvement can play a big part in a school’s academic success. This year’s Red Carpet winners understand and strive for that.”
Two hundred schools began the 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 marks the first time Chapman has won the award.
“We outlined things we wanted to see every day at Chapman High School,” said principal Stephanie Mathis. “We tried to embed a lot of things, little details that we really honed in on, so everybody knows exactly what to do at any moment to serve our community.”
Mathis gave credit to everyone who helped secure the award.
“They’re people-friendly,” she said of her support staff. “They go out of their way every single day to make anything better for these students, their parents, and the community.”
Mathis said the award came as a surprise.
“It was quite a surprise when we found out this morning,” she said. “District One is know for being down-home and family-friendly, and we take pride in being able to hang that red carpet in our entryway.”
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