The New York State Education Department has effectively banned the use of most Native American mascots for public schools in the State.
Jamestown Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said State Ed sent a communication to all districts last week following another school district losing its appeal in State Supreme Court to keep its Native American mascot and nickname.
He said while the letter was clear about districts needing to change imagery, the question remains about nicknames, “And so, what they said is that they will be developing regulation, which is different from guidance. They will be developing regulation that will tell school districts specifically where the boundaries are. And it is my understanding, from my contacts at State Ed, that these conversations are happening and they are getting specific.”
Whitaker said JPS is in a holding pattern until the new regulations come out from the state. He said there are various financial implications in these regulations, including the state withholding aid for districts who choose not to change their imagery or nickname, “And the state may withhold various funding sources, which would be disastrous as schools are not exactly funded to the nines. And the second expense that comes in is that even if you voluntarily change, there things like murals and sports fields and bleachers and uniforms that have to be changed if you’re changing a logo which is something we did, or a nickname, or both.”
Whitaker said while no timeline for when new regulations might come from State Ed have been provided, he’s hoping that districts will hear something by the end of the current school year.
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