Peru District Superintendent Schedules Town Hall Meetings on Mascot Issue
A message from the Peru School District
A historical namesake of a mascot for the Peru Central School District has been retired. The District’s new mascot is going to be created based on recommendations to the Board of Education from a stakeholder group consisting of students, community members, administrators and staff.
Superintendent Town Hall Meetings have been scheduled for July 21st and 22nd at the Peru Central School District’s High School parking area. July 21st is open to all students that presently go to Peru CSD and July 22nd is open to the greater school community. Both meetings will start at 6:00 pm. We are allowing 50 people to attend as per the Clinton County Health Department and there will be chairs 6’ socially distanced apart for participants. Masks must be worn if you attend. We will also have the events live-streamed. We will have additional information posted on our website and Facebook page.
As part of the District’s efforts to provide a more inclusive and welcoming environment in line with its Mission and Core Beliefs, the Board believes that it has the responsibility to correct this culturally inappropriate and offensive mascot as times have changed since the creation of the Indian as the mascot.
The Board of Education is respectful of the past and the pride that was exhibited over the years through success Peru has accomplished but it is time to move forward and create a new nickname and mascot for the District.
Posted: July 17th, 2020 under Education News, Peru News, Peru School News.
Comments
Comment from Bruce Germain
Time July 17, 2020 at 12:36 pm
The sneaky, underhanded way the school board took to address changing our school mascot reeks of Cuomo like politics. Changes being made with little or no community input that affects all our town. You all are elected officials and your time in office, thankfully is limited. We the people will not be denied our voice.
Comment from Dorothy Wyman
Time July 17, 2020 at 3:47 pm
If you cared about “community” input, you would have given us a heads up regarding this issue when you mailed ballots for school budget. Way too secretive and sneaky for my liking. Pretty disgusted with all board members!
Comment from John Leale
Time July 17, 2020 at 5:34 pm
If the Peru Board of Education actually respected what the town of Peru thought of re-naming the school mascot, why would they have not asked PRIOR to arbitrarily retiring the title. The Board claims the mascot is “culturally inappropriate and offensive”…. Now, only now, July 2020, after almost fifty years, it is NOW that “PERU INDIANS” has become “inappropriate and offensive.”
Comment from Lynne Dougherty 1980
Time July 18, 2020 at 3:58 pm
I will continue to call it Peru Indians This type of thing should have been voted on by the community of Peru. I believe trust of the school board just went DOWN a few notches. Why would you risk such betrayal thoughts from your community? Shame on you.
Comment from Britney Crouse
Time July 18, 2020 at 5:31 pm
Thank you for holding these meetings and allowing the community’s input. Change is hard but it’s GOOD! The best way to represent out school is to have a nice, strong mascot. I recommend the Peru Panthers and have seen several others on social media agreeing that the Panthers would be a good mascot. Peru Panther Pride has a good ring to it! ☺️
Comment from Judy Duprey
Time July 18, 2020 at 7:09 pm
I strongly feel this should not have been a decision made by the board alone….I have known Indian pride for years. During this stressful time is there nothing else the board could be handling other than changing the school mascot name????
Comment from Josh Prue
Time July 19, 2020 at 9:57 am
It disgusts me that this is the School Boards priority! The fact that this is even an issue during these times, is more than ridiculous. How about we as the “Peru Community” focus on what is really important! Ya know, maybe the global pandemic!? Wake up school board.
Comment from bruce besaw
Time July 17, 2020 at 12:29 pm
50 people is not the greater Peru community.And culturally inappropriate And offensive mascot is a bias description