SALTILLO – Saltillo Elementary School will set a bright new look, thanks to the community.

The 800-student, third- to fifth-grade school will receive a colorful coat of paint during the coming months after garnering wide support in a recent contest and the pledges of volunteers who agreed to do the labor.

“The support of the community means everything,” said Assistant Principal Michael Coggins. “Our focus can be on the education of students because we’ve had so many people step up to help with this.”

Last fall, the school was among five national finalists in Glidden paint’s “Colorful Classrooms Contest,” which allowed online voters to determine one elementary school most in need of a complete makeover. The winner would get 200 gallons of Glidden paint, valued at $50,000, with painting done by parent company AkzoNobel and its contractors.

Saltillo finished second to Gallup, N.M., but sill received 200 gallons of paint. It would, however, need to do the work itself.

“Because our community was so supportive and we had sister schools in the district support us and parents call in for us, they still rewarded us,” Coggins said.

The school has received vats of vivid new colors – butter cream yellow, French country blue, juicy cantaloupe and spring green, among others – based on designs it submitted.

The plan calls for several murals in the cafeteria, auditorium, multipurpose building and hallways.

Work began during spring break this week when volunteers from Home Depot came to apply a base coat. Parents, staff and other volunteers will continue the work on weekends and during the summer.

“It is part of giving back to the community and the kids,” said Randy Black, supervisor of plumbing, kitchen and bath and appliances at Home Depot in Tupelo.

chris.kieffer@journalinc.com