Committee meets to discuss changing Waterville logo, mascot
The committee overseeing the transition to a new mascot, team name and logo for the Waterville Central School District (WCSD) met Jan. 18 to provide input on the change and what is needed to move forward.
More than 25 attendees, composed of students, alumni, parents, coaches and district administrators, were present.
The committee shared their thoughts about what makes WCSD unique, what WCSD should be known for and what characteristics and attributes should be reflected in the design and representation. These ideas will serve as the criteria for selecting a new mascot, team name and logo.
For those who were not able to attend the meeting, there will be an opportunity to participate in the discussion through ThoughtExchange, an online communications platform, which will be available the week of Jan. 23. Additional information and the link to the ThoughtExchange will be shared through ParentSquare and posted on the district’s website. This will allow the link to be shared with anyone, including any people or groups who have ties or interest in Waterville but may not live in the immediate community.
The committee also preliminarily discussed potential mascot names, but no official selections have been made. The public will also have an opportunity to submit their ideas for consideration. Once the committee narrows down the list of suggestions, a link to a poll will be shared with the community.
A potential stylized “W” was selected as a temporary logo, pending Board of Education approval. If approved, the W would be used on the district website and other district publications until a new logo is finalized or the W becomes permanent.
The district is working with Capital Region BOCES for the physical design of the logo.
If anyone has a suggestion for a new mascot, team name or logo, please contact Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jennifer Spring at jspring@watervillecsd.org.
The next committee meeting will be Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m., in the Waterville Jr./Sr. High School library. Everyone is invited to attend.
The need for a mascot and logo change comes after the New York State Education Department’s notification to school districts in November that they must ensure their mascots, team names and logos are non-discriminatory.
According to the proposed state rule that is up for adoption at the April 2023 Regents meeting, “Boards of education must commit, via resolution, to eliminating use of all Indigenous names, logos, and mascots by the end of the 2022-23 school year. Such resolution shall identify a plan to eliminate all use of the prohibited name, logo, or mascot within a reasonable time, which shall be no later than the end of the 2024-2025 school year.”
If adopted, the rule would go into effect May 3, 2023.