School board to make final decision on ‘Rutland Ravens’ name change

RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) - Rutland City schools may have a new mascot approved Tuesday night.

A group of students and administrators are presenting a new name, the Rutland Ravens, to the school board for approval Tuesday evening. Rutland City students in grades 3-12 voted on the new mascot last week, giving 57% of the votes to the name Ravens. The runner-up was the Royals.

If Ravens is approved, the next step will be planning the new logo and replacing all that’s associated with the old name, the Rutland Raiders.

Alison Notte, the president of the school board, says it’s hard to say whether the name will be approved. There has been plenty of community outcry to keep the old name. But she hopes the commissioners will accept the proposal.

“The direction from the board was to be a more welcoming and inclusive mascot than the current one that was retired, so it will be exciting to see the fruits of their labor and what they have to say about the process and things that they think how the raven could exemplify our district,” Notte said.

Notte acknowledges this is most likely not the end of the controversy.

Even if the board approves the Ravens, there is a large push to elect officials to the school board on the Town Meeting Day ballot to overturn the name change.

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