The Waterville Central School District (WCSD) will soon have a new team name that the public will have the opportunity to help select.
The committee overseeing and advising the district’s transition to a new mascot, team name and logo will recommend to the school board that the public vote on eight names: Bobcats, Eagles, Hawks, Huskies, Purple Storm, Tigers, Wildcats and Wolves.
The need for a mascot and logo change comes after the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) notification to school districts in November 2022 that they must ensure their mascots, team names and logos are non-discriminatory and specifically mentioned ending the use of Native American mascots and imagery.
The committee met March 22 to narrow down the list of names and to discuss the voting process.
The team names will be considered by the Waterville Board of Education at its meeting on April 4.
The Waterville Board of Education will discuss and give the go ahead for the final team names to be included in a vote. Voting will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 16, 2023, coinciding with the annual vote for the school budget and board of education candidates at the Jr./Sr. High School, 381 Madison Street, Waterville, NY 13480.
The mascot name vote will not be a ballot proposition, rather voting on the name would be available to people who show up in person to vote on the budget to be held in a separate area at the Jr./Sr. High School.
The Board will further discuss the possibility of alumni and community members who are not able to attend the mascot name vote in person to have the opportunity to vote online via a link. Regardless of the manner, all voters would be allowed to only vote once.
The committee is recommending the mascot name vote be open to students in K-12. Students in kindergarten through second grade would be able to submit one vote per classroom. Students in grades 3-12 would be able to submit one vote per student.
More information on the voting process will be released when it is finalized. Communication from the district is shared on the district website and on ParentSquare, the district’s primary platform for school communication, and with local media when appropriate.
Community members who do not have students active in WCSD, but would still like to receive district notifications, are invited to sign up for ParentSquare.
The committee anticipates reconvening after the vote, with a date and time to be determined.
More information about the mascot, logo and team name change is available on the Waterville district website.