A debate over the districts multiple mascots continues, despite the USD 257 Board of Education voting to consolidate all schools under the Mustangs mascot. The change would be phased in over the next few years, doing away with the current system that has Colts as the mascot for elementary schools, Ponies for middle school students, Mustangs for boys sports and Fillies for girls sports.
Sadrie Overall, an Iola High School senior, expressed her disappointment Monday with the boards decision. Overall wears the Marv the Mustang costume at sporting events. She also has been designing a Fran the Filly costume for girls events.
IHS is the only high school in Kansas that has distinct mascots for its boys and girls teams, she said.
That makes us unique, she said.
She argued that special designation gave IHS girls a sense of pride, and several students were upset about the change.
Historically, the student council approved using the Fillies mascot in 1974, when Kansas allowed for the first female sports teams. The first girls sports team at IHS was basketball.
Laura Caillouet-Weiner, a second grade teacher and former IHS student, served on the student council when that decision was made.
We had a choice. Did we want to be the Mustangs or not? We saw the elementary school had the Colts and the middle school had the Ponies, and we wanted to establish something different, Caillouet-Weiner said. Now, its 46 years later and we have one elementary building and its kind of logical to come together and unify ourselves.
Lincoln Elementary School principal Andy Gottlob also spoke in favor of the change. He talked of other districts where he had worked that had one mascot for all students, kindergarten through 12 grade. He said one mascot helped foster a sense of pride and unification that carried all students through their entire school career.
USD 257 school board member Jennifer Taylor assured Overall the district would send the Fillies out to pasture with honor, perhaps with some sort of retirement ceremony similar to the way sports teams retire a players jersey.
Superintendent Stacey Fager said he understands the passion students and others feel about the Fillies, but ultimately the board looked toward the future and decided to unify all students under one mascot.
