HIGH POINT, N.C. — Five schools across the U.S. each were awarded $2,000 in recognition of their winning photo entries in the second annual Thomas Built Buses Back to School Photo Contest.

The schools that received the prize money were Joliet Township High School in Joliet, Illinois; Carver Elementary School in Tupelo, Mississippi; Carlisle Elementary School in Boaz, Alabama; Clear Springs Elementary School in Excelsior, Minnesota; and Moon Lake Elementary School in Rainsville, Alabama.

In its second year, the photo contest invited parents across the country to submit a photo of their child that best represents the spirit of the back-to-school season. The photos then were posted to the Thomas Built Buses Facebook page for voting by the public. The 50 photos with the most online votes were presented to a panel of judges, who determined the five winners based on specific criteria.

Each of the five winners was awarded a $2,000 donation to their child’s school from Thomas Built Buses.

“School buses have always been an iconic symbol for the back-to-school season and the excitement that goes with it,” said Thomas Built Buses President and CEO Caley Edgerly. “We thoroughly enjoyed all of the photos entered in our second-annual photo contest, and we were so pleased to be able to make donations to the winning schools again this year.”