Teachers at Butler High School said they wanted to see the campus beautified. Thanks to a $5,000 grant, their wish will soon be fulfilled.

"Outside of school materials and classroom items, fixing up areas at the school was the most-wished-for when we sent out wish-list requests. We saw this grant as a perfect opportunity to do that," said the school's Parent Teacher Student Association president, Lisa Winebrenner. She said students and parents also expressed a desire for improvements.

A Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grant, which the association received in January, will be used for the Butler Beautification Project, which involves the students' outdoor picnic area.

"We wanted to give the students back their area that is a bit rundown. We want to give them a nice place they can hang out, a place they can have a break," she said.

Plans for the area include removing the wood wall and replacing it with cinder blocks or bricks; putting concrete on the ground or, if utilities are underneath, using concrete pavers; replacing tables; installing a covered roof or gazebo; and adding shrubs.

The school board is reviewing construction details to ensure that the parent teach group follows guidelines, Ms. Winebrenner said.

The association will begin the project in April, with help from the school's senior class, the Marine Corps JROTC unit and other students.

Volunteers from the community are also being urged to help.

"We want the students to invest some sweat equity so that they can take ownership of the area," she said. "We're hoping to teach the kids that they can be a part of the change they want to see."

There's a lesson in the project for the entire community, she said.

"We hope that we will demonstrate to people that it's OK to want to improve the school you have and that it's possible. All it takes is making that first step," Ms. Winebrenner said.

For more information on the Butler Beautification Project, visit http://bhsptsa.googlepages.com. For more information on the Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grant, visit www.toolboxforeducation.com.

Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.