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School board narrows down list of names for new high school

The Minot Public School Board has narrowed down the list of potential names for the new 9-12 northwest high school to three: Great Northern, Minot North or North Star High School. The list of potential mascots has been narrowed down to two: the Missiles or the Falcons.

The public will be surveyed and asked to vote on the names and the school board will make a final choice of name and mascot at its May meeting.

The board also decided on a color scheme for the new school at its meeting on Thursday. The new colors will be the Air Force colors: navy blue, metallic silver and white.

Board member Miranda Schuler said many people in the district seem to want to pay homage to Minot’s long ties with Minot Air Force Base and the colors will do that. School superintendent Mark Vollmer told the board the colors needed to be chosen quickly so that work on the design of the school can proceed.

Two people offered suggestions during a public comment session. Scott Louser suggested the Missiles as the school mascot in honor of the base and said the district should hire a local artist to create a new image for the school logo.

Verla Rostad, wife of school board president Jim Rostad, said the new school’s name should be Great Northern in honor of Minot’s ties to the railroad.

Other school board members had suggested names such as Stellar High School or Northern Lights High School or Lincoln High School. Other mascots suggested at the meeting were the Eagles or the Genies or the Beacons.

Board member Bonny Berryman said some discussion will be needed about the suggested mascots. She said she did not want to say out loud her thoughts on one of the top mascot suggestions, but she can see kids seeing it as prime teasing material.

Voters approved a bond issue last fall that will pay for renovation and new construction at the site of the former Cognizant in northwest Minot. Cognizant gifted the property to the school district for the new high school. Magic City Campus, currently an 11-12 campus, will be converted into a 9-12 high school. Central Campus, currently a 9-10 campus, will be converted into a third in-town middle school.

The school board also heard a presentation on new school boundary lines and some of the changes in attendance areas for elementaries, as well as which elementaries and middle schools will feed into the new middle school and high school. The maps will be posted on the school district’s website and in school offices throughout the district and the public is invited to submit comments to the district administration. The board will make a decision about the boundary lines in May.

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