HARTFORD, Mich. — Hartford Public Schools has selected a new mascot, the School Board President announced Tuesday.
Their current mascot, the Indians, will be "respectfully retired" at the end of the school year, Michael Banic explained. The district will now use the mascot of the Hartford Huskies.
Many school districts and professional teams across the nation are opting to abandon their controversial mascot names. Saranac and Saugatuck are examples of other districts in West Michigan that recently made the choice to drop the moniker.
Banic says the school system came to the decision through community input in four phases. The first was asking for new mascot names within the community. A committee of students then selected names that fit five criteria: the name must be inclusive, non-controversial, pride-inspiring, unique and true to the community.
Next, students within the school system were given seven choices and could select their top three. With this input, the top five names were shared with the community, who could respond in the final feedback survey.
With 829 responses, the Student Mascot Committee presented their top choice to the Board of Education, and their new mascot was decided.
The district will start using the Hartford Huskies moniker in the 2022 to 2023 school year.
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