Batesburg-Leesville, SC - B-L Elementary School has been named as a winner of the 2018 Palmetto’s Finest School Award. The school is one of only two elementary schools from around the state that was selected for this honor following a rigorous application process and two extensive on-site evaluations by fellow educators and previous Palmetto’s Finest winners.
The school learned that it had earned the Palmetto’s Finest designation today via a livestream from the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA). B-L Elementary School is the first campus in Lexington County School District Three to ever receive this prestigious award.
SCASA presents the Palmetto’s Finest awards each year to schools that offer the best in innovative, effective educational programs and that demonstrate “excellent instruction and outstanding leaders, augmented by strong family and community involvement and a supportive business community,” according to the SCASA website. The Palmetto’s Finest Award is celebrating its 40th year and is one of the most coveted and respected awards among educators.
"There are no words to express how excited and thrilled the students and staff are at B-L Elementary School. We have worked so hard during the past few years in our pursuit of excellence and the dedication of our entire staff has certainly paid off. This award speaks volumes about our great school. It is a true honor to make history today in Lexington School District Three!" said Jaime Hembree, Principal of B-L Elementary School.
B-L Elementary School serves 494 students in third through fifth grade. Using the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate as their blueprint, students at B-L Elementary have many opportunities to be innovators. The school is proud to offer the School of Journalism, honors choir, school safety squad, Girls on the Run, Panther Prowl boys running club, Zumba team, MakerSpaces, coding and a community garden. A recently named TransformSC school, B-L Elementary is implementing personalized learning for all students through rigorous, engaging and individualized instruction.
