Greenville High School has won its fourth consecutive Alabama Safe Schools Award for Excellence and will receive a special Sustained Performance Award for the streak, which started in 2005.

Alabama Attorney General Troy King awards the honor annually.

Prattville High School will also receive a Sustained Performance Award, but no school in the state can match GHS’s performance in school safety over the past four years.

GHS Principal Dr. Charles Farmer credited School Resource Officer Sgt. Malcom Owens for what the school has accomplished.

“He (Owens) goes above and beyond the call of duty and what’s required by the state,” said Farmer. “There’s so much involved behind the scenes that Sgt. Owens does that many people don’t realize.”

Farmer said Owens is working constantly to ensure GHS students are safe and understand the rules of the school.

“There’s explanations and signage he has to keep updated, including a mentoring initiative he started that’s part of a larger community outreach program,” said Farmer. “He educates the kids into playing by the rules and provides an extra layer of support to help keep the kids out of trouble.”

Farmer also applauded former principal Dr. Kathy Murphy’s leadership. Murphy is now an administrator at the Butler County Board of Education.

“This award is also a testament to Dr. Murphy’s leadership and it really makes me realize I have pretty big shoes to fill,” he said.

This is Farmer’s first year as GHS principal.

King will present the awards at 10 a.m. at GHS on Sept. 24. Including GHS, 11 schools around the state will receive such awards.

“We honor the hard work of the students, staff, parents and administrators of these schools,” King said. “On behalf of the Attorney General’s Office and the State of Alabama, I commend the outstanding efforts of these schools and their communities. They stand as an example and inspiration as we work together to make schools safe for all Alabama students.”