Advisory question on November ballot

By Angie Landsverk

The Weyauwega-Fremont School Board is expected to take action next week on whether it wants to seek input about the district’s mascot with an advisory question on the November ballot.

The topic is scheduled to be on the agenda for a vote when the board meets at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24.

The board meets virtually via Zoom.

District Administrator Phillip Tubbs told the board the subject is getting attention again.

While “Indians” is W-F’s mascot, the district uses a motion W-F for its logo.

“I think it would be good to get input,” Board President Mark Alberts said during the board’s Aug. 10 Committee of the Whole meeting.

Board members comment

“I certainly don’t want to make this decision,” said Sandy Smith.

Debi Bartel said she did not go to school in the district and wants the community to tell the board what it wants.

“You have to realize they might vote to keep it,” Smith said.

Tubbs said there are some school districts in the state saying they are keeping it for their mascot.

Alberts said it would be nice for W-F to get its own identity since it is not using the mascot.

The idea of having an advisory question on the Nov. 3 ballot was discussed last March.

Tubbs said the question would be a way to gauge whether the community wants the mascot to continue being the Indians or to retire it and move forward with something else.

During January’s Wisconsin Association of School Board annual state education convention, a resolution to ban Native American mascots and nicknames in the state failed 101 to 218.

As a result, that leaves the issue up to local control.

“I would not do it without a referendum,” Smith said. “I think it’s a good way to go about it.”