BELLEFONTE — After spending lots of time in early January to reverse the work of last year’s board by reinstating the term “Red Raiders” and the Native American imagery associated with it, the Bellefonte Area School District has formed a branding committee to look at how to move forward. The district also plans to take a big step in addressing its aging elementary school buildings this coming year.
School board president Jeff Stiener announced the forming of a branding committee and an elementary school project committee during his report during a Jan. 25 board meeting.
“What I will say about both of these committees is, this is the foundation, this the basic structure for both of these agendas that we are carrying forward,” said Stiener.
He added, “There will be opportunities from people in the community, the administration, staff, students … whoever, to be a part of that process, but this is the core of it. This is what we are going to do to get these initiatives moving forward.”
The branding committee’s charges is to “engage all stakeholders and provide feedback and recommendation to the district in pursuit of trademarks and a complete branding guide. More specifically, to make recommendation to the board on a district logo, moniker, artwork and color schemes that will eventually be incorporated into a district branding guide.”
Stiener said the committee will “develop and follow an open and transparent process in pursuit of the committee’s charge.”
The committee will be chaired by school board member Jon Guizar, along with board members Donna Smith and Andrea Royer and Superintendent Tammie Burnaford.
It was just on Jan. 11 that the board voted to rescind two April 2021 motions that called for the district to remove the term “red” from the school nickname and retire any Native American imagery associated with it. This came after months of debate in the community on the matter. In deciding to rescind the motions, the board agreed that a branding committee needed to be formed.
“This is our promise to everyone when we took action to rescind the prior motions relative to names and logos,” said Steiner.
The committee will meet monthly and present monthly reports to the board through Dec. 2023 or until a complete branding guide is created.
The elementary school project committee will also be chaired by Guizar, along with board members Kim Weaver and Nate Campbell and Burnaford.
The district has long looked at how to address its aging elementary schools. After a building assessment was completed by Hunt Engineering, the district narrowed the list of seven options presented by Hunt, down to three during a special meeting on Sept. 14. These three options fit within the district’s goal educationally, financially and infrastructurally.
The charges of the committee “is to engage all stakeholders and facilitate efforts of the district in choosing a path forward for elementary construction and renovation, to gather, compile and present data that supports all recommendations to the board. To ensure all recommendations are aligned with our district mission and vision with minimal impact to taxpayers,” said Stiener.
