Eagles was selected as the new mascot for the Waterville Central School District according to a vote involving students, parents and guardians, staff, alumni and community members.
The vote was held on May 16, 2023, via an online vote that was available remotely and in-person during the annual school budget vote and board of education election held at the Jr./Sr. High School.
A total of 678 votes were collected with Eagles receiving 249 votes.
The other available choices were Huskies, Wildcats and Wolves.
“We are grateful to the entire Waterville school community for supporting the transition to a new mascot. We thank everyone for providing input throughout this process, and we look forward to the next chapter in the history of the Waterville Central School District,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jennifer Spring.
At its June 13 meeting, the Waterville Board of Education plans to adopt a resolution committing the district to retire the Indian mascot and to accept the new mascot.
The change is coming 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 entire phase-out process must be completed by the end of the 2024-25 school year, according to the state. Waterville has already begun that process.
A logo incorporating the new mascot will be selected by the committee overseeing the mascot selection process. This committee is composed of community members, students and staff. An exact date of when the logo will be selected and revealed has yet to be determined.
Communication about the process will be shared on the district website, on ParentSquare and with local media outlets. Community members who would like to receive district notifications via ParentSquare, the district’s primary platform for school communication, may sign up for ParentSquare through a link on the district’s website.
More information about the mascot, logo and team name change is available on the Waterville district website.