May 19, 2006 Four schools in Horry County, Carolina Forest High School, Forestbrook Middle School, Loris Middle School and St. James Middle School, are among 98 honorees in a prestigious class of schools named winners of the State Department of Education’s Red Carpet Awards. The Red Carpet Award is an initiative that recognizes schools with outstanding family-friendly environments and providing excellent customer service. Statewide, more than 300 schools applied for the award last fall. In their applications, schools explained their family-friendly philosophies and environments, including the methods used to evaluate those efforts. They were also required to include copies of their schools’ communication plans. 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. Over the past four years, 387 schools have been recognized in the program. Winning schools receive actual red carpets with the state seal to display in their lobbies, and they maintain their recognition status for a three-year period. For more details on the Red Carpet Award, visit this website: www.myscschools.com/tracks/educators/red_carpet/index.htm. | 
