Carbon School District Press Release
Just before the school dismissal in response to the current crisis, a big change was ratified by students at Creekview Elementary, and it will set a legacy for the future.
“We actually took the vote on March 13, the final day of school before the dismissal,” said Creekview Principal Keith Palmer. “Our mascot has been changed and it will now be the Coyote.”
The school’s mascot since it opened in the 1980s has been the Chiefs. For many years, the bronze statue of a chief’s head has stood in the foyer, but the feeling among the faculty was that it was time to make a change.
The concern had actually been around for years; teachers felt it was hard to use the Chief mascot for things without being insensitive to those who might view it as inappropriate and to use it in a respectful way. Palmer said it came to a point this year where something had to be done.
“In fact, the Chief logo wasn’t being used much at all because of the concerns. And it wasn’t just the teachers who felt that way,” he said. “I asked the PTA board about it and they wanted a change too. We did a survey of teachers and parents and most liked the idea of finding a different mascot.”
Palmer approached the Carbon School Board about changing the mascot at the Feb. 19 school board meeting and they were in consensus on the issue. Following that, he organized a committee of staff and students to find a replacement and it was agreed that students at the school could submit new mascot ideas.
“We had a lot of responses,” he said. “There were a lot to choose from and we had the committee narrow it down. The first thing they did was eliminate names that were already being used as mascot names in the region. Finally, they narrowed it to three ideas that were then submitted to the students so they could vote for the one they thought was best.
The final three came down to the Wildcats, Dragons and Coyotes, with the Coyotes being the choice of students. A new logo has already been designed and a video was placed on the school’s Facebook page concerning the change. The colors used on the new logo and along with the mascot will also be a change for the school as well.
“It gives us something to talk about with the kids that is positive in these uncertain times,” he stated.
Palmer said the school will begin using the new mascot right away and it would last “until someone else decides to change it.”
He said everyone is in discussion about how it will be used and what characteristics of Coyotes will be used to illustrate students’ progress, activities and the goings on at the school.