Sandusky schools pauses spending on search to replace Redskins mascot
The Sandusky Community Schools Board of Education has voted to pause spending on the replacement of its Redskins mascot and officials acknowledged it's possible the district may begin the school year without a replacement.
The district said when it began the process earlier this year minimal money would be spent out of the district's general fund budget.
The board applied for a grant from the Michigan Native American Heritage Fund to help cover expenses. However, the agency did not accept the grant application.
The school requested $160,000 in its grant application, which is amount officials estimate it will cost to rebrand.
“We were informed that we did not receive any money this time around because they felt we were not far enough in the process of choosing a new mascot,” Paul Flynn, Sandusky Community Schools superintendent, said.
Four Michigan schools shared most of $480,000 available this year from the Michigan Native American Heritage Fund.
In April, Sandusky voted to retire its Redskins mascot to acknowledge the changed perception of Native American mascot imagery.
Mascot options of The Storm, The Ravens and The Knights were chosen as possible replacements. However, those options were unpopular with community members, based on feedback from community members.
“We’re taking a step back to reevaluate the process to try to get more community input on the next mascot,” said Flynn.
The school has spent $9,000 so far in the replacement process. The Redskins logo has been moved from the high school gym floor and staff are now in the process of removing the logo from walls.
Flynn said despite the absence of a new mascot, the school did not want to enter the academic year with images of the Redskins mascot still displayed.
Flynn said he expected the district could be without a mascot for part of the school year.
“If we would have made the decision back in October to retire the Redskins mascot, then we would have stood a better chance of having a new one,” he said. “We want to make the process right; we don’t want to make it fast.”
Flynn said that although it hasn’t been a perfect process, he thinks the district is doing a good job.
He said the process has been a learning experience for members of the school district.
“It’s been an opportunity for us to get really good feedback from the community,” he said.
Sandusky will be planning committee meetings to get new mascot suggestions. The time and dates for these meetings have yet to be made.
The Native American Heritage Fund in June that it would grant a portion of $480,000 to four school districts: Chippewa Hills School District in Mecosta County, Hartford Public Schools in Van Buren County, Saranac Community Schools in Ionia County and the Lansing School District for Sexton High School’s Redskins mascot.
Chippewa Hills will receive $52,371, Hartford will get $134,249, Lansing will receive $87,500 and Saranac will get $139,319. The rest of the $480,000 went to organizations for other indigenous-related education projects. The fund's board decided the grants, and priority was given to the mascot projects, according to a news release.
“If we fund the decommissioning of racist mascot imagery now, we will have more money in the future for proactive program and curriculum programming,” said Jamie Stuck, chairperson of the Native American
The money will be distributed in August. It will go directly to mascot and logo rebranding efforts.
Detroit Free Press reporter Lily Altavena contributed.
Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Sandusky schools pauses spending in search to replace Redskins mascot
