Board of Directors statement on school team name

 

July 23, 2021

    During the recent Washington State Legislative Session, the legislature passed SHB 1356, which prohibits the “inappropriate use of Native American names, symbols, or images as public school mascots, logos, or team names.”

In compliance with this law, South Bend School District formed a committee of community members, school staff, and students to propose possible team names that would replace “Indians”.  The committee completed this task late Spring, and put forth a process for students and the overall community to vote and provide input on a new school team name.  

The results of this process were provided to the school district board of directors at our regular July meeting, and consisted of 189 Jr. Sr. High students/staff votes, 88 elementary students/staff votes, and 77 South Bend community member votes.  The combined votes did not produce a clear favorite among either group.

The board takes the SHB 1356 requirement seriously, and at the same time understands and hears a strong sentiment from the community that does not desire a new team name be selected at this time.  Numerous community members have provided input to the contrary, and the fact that only 77 votes were returned (out of over 1400 ballots distributed) shows a current underwhelming enthusiasm among the people of our community.  

The board acknowledges and respects its responsibility to represent the community and to make decisions based on both legal requirements and the majority will of the people, with the overall goal of providing for the best interests of students.  Though we are not allowed to keep “Indians” as our team name, and, based on the feedback we have received on this issue, and the apparent lack of an overall mandate from our students and community, we do not believe we have a clear direction at this time in selecting a replacement.  

With all this considered, the board has decided our school teams will be known as, “South Bend”, and will remain such until the board authorizes a new team name.  The details of this decision can be found in Board Resolution 09-2121 as provided below.

Respectfully,

Chuck Spoor, Chairman Todd Strozyk, Vice Chairman David Eastham, member

Wendy Manlow, member Andy Seaman, member Jon Tienhaara, Superintendent

RESOLUTION 09-2021 

School Athletic Team Name

SOUTH BEND SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 118

A Resolution of the Board of Directors setting the athletic team name of South Bend Jr. Sr. High School.

WHEREAS, the South Bend School District No. 118 (District) is a public school district in the State of Washington; and

WHEREAS, the team name for athletic teams at South Bend Jr. Sr. High School is, “Indians”; and,

WHEREAS, Substitute House Bill 1356, as passed by the 67th Washington State Legislature, and signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee, prohibits the District to use “Indians” as an athletic team name; and,

WHEREAS, no Federally recognized Indian Tribe has agreed to authorize the District to continue use of the athletic team name “Indians” as authorized in SHB 1356; and,

WHEREAS, SHB 1356 requires Washington public schools and the District to discontinue the use of “Indians” as an athletic team name before January 1, 2022;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Directors (Board) of South Bend School District No. 118 directs that “Indians” not be used as the team name for any District athletic team, club, or group, unless authorized as described in SHB 1356; and,

THEREFORE, BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that District athletic teams, clubs, or groups, will use “South Bend” as their name, other than team names as established by the athletic combines with Raymond High School, until a new team name is authorized by the Board; and,

THEREFORE, BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that this directive is implemented prior to the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.

Dated this 22nd day of July, 2021, at the regular meeting of the Board of Directors, South Bend School District No. 118.

Community team name information & ballot arriving in mailboxes

 

Community Update

June 25, 2021

As stated previously, South Bend School District is required to change the team name, "Indians" to a name that complies with SHB 1356.  The team name committee met in early June and selected five possible names.  These names include: Seawolves, Riverhawks, Tsunami, Storm, and Kings.  There is also an opportunity to provide a write-in name.

The naming committee would like to give South Bend community members an opportunity to provide input on which team name they support.  Further information and ballots will be mailed to South Bend community members on Friday, June 25, 2021.  The ballots will need to be post marked and mailed to PO Box 437, South Bend, Wa, 98586; or delivered to the South Bend Schools district office, located at 405 E. First Street, South Bend, by July 7, 2021.

Community results will be combined with the student\staff vote, and the top three choices will be presented to the school board of directors for a first reading on July 22, 2021.  The final selection will be made in August.

Committee working on required team name\mascot changes

 

Community Update

School Team Name\Mascot & Substitute House Bill 1356

During the recent session of the Washington State Legislature, SHB 1356 was passed and subsequently signed into law by Governor Inslee.  SHB 1356 goes into effect on July 25, 2021.  The bill prohibits Washington schools from using Native American names, symbols, and images as school mascots, logos, or team names, and requires all schools be in compliance by January, 2022.  Being the "Indians", South Bend High School is required to change its team name under this new law.

In compliance with the law, the South Bend School District Board of Directors has directed the formation of a committee to conduct a process for selecting a new school team name\mascot.  The committee has been formed and consists of school staff, community members, alumni, tribal members, and students.  At their first meeting held this week, the committee identified several possible team names with the additional option of a "write-in" choice.

South Bend students will now have the opportunity to give input before the school year ends and the South Bend community will have the opportunity to provide input in the coming weeks.  Once input from students and the community is collected, a recommendation from the committee will be made to the board of directors.  The goal is to select a new team name prior to the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.

Information on how the community can provide input will be forthcoming.

$761,000 in grant funding for Millam Field upgrades

 

Millam Field will soon be under construction

    South Bend School District is slated for over three quarters of a million dollars in grant funding to apply toward the renovation of Millam Field at South Bend High School.  The completed project will include a synthetic turf multi-sport playing surface and new LED lighting.  The facility will be set up for football, soccer, and girls fast-pitch softball.  Estimated completion is set for late August, 2021.

With the construction of the new Mike Morris Elementary School, the district lost the site of the former football/soccer practice field.  That site also hosted several community youth soccer and youth football practices and contests.  Because of limited space on campus, the board felt the district should have the goal of installing synthetic turf on Millam Field, which would allow multiple and repeated use activities that would typically be difficult for natural grass to withstand.  With the large amounts of rainfall each year and the water-saturated grounds that follow, South Bend's new facility will allow for increased use and accessibility to school programs, physical education, community youth programs, and other recreational activities.

The project also includes new Musco LED field lighting.  The current lights are obsolete, have annual maintenance issues and deteriorating wooden light poles.  The new lighting will be installed using steel poles and will carry a 25-year full warranty, while saving electricity demand.

The school district obtained combined grant funding totaling $761,000 from the Ben B. Cheney Foundation and the Washington State Legislature's Capital Budget---additional grant funding is also in the works.  Grant funding is slated to pay the majority of the field costs of approximately $1.3 million dollars.  The lighting project will cost approximately $450,000.  All additional monies needed will come from the district's capital projects fund, which include remaining grant resources from the recently completed elementary school construction project.  No special levy or additional funds from district tax payers will be needed.

Rognlins Inc. will be the contractor used to install drainage and prepare the field for turf.  Turf will be supplied and installed by SprintTurf, and architectural\engineering is provided by Harbor Architects of Aberdeen.  Rognlins will break ground on May 19, 2021.

We want to again thank the Ben B. Cheney Foundation for their generous support of the district and our 19th District state delegation led by Representative Jim Walsh for helping to secure state capital budget resources.  These investments will make a lasting impact on the students of South Bend School District and our South Bend community.

 

Grades 7-12 returning to 4 days of school per week May 10

 

Community Update

  South Bend Jr. Sr. High School will be welcoming 7th-12th grade students back to 4 days of in-person school per week beginning Monday, May 10.  

All students (K-12) were previously scheduled to return to 4 days per week on May 3, but grades 7-12 were delayed due to COVID-19 case rates in Pacific County being above 200 per 100,000.  Grades K-6 (and preschool) returned to 4 days per week on May 3.

County case rates have been below 200 cases per 100,000 for the last four days and look to continue that trend.  As of today, the case rate is 143 and there are 22 current active cases in the county.  Under these conditions, the health department allows for 3 ft. distancing, which enables us to have both A and B cohorts on campus concurrently.

As noted previously, students will be in-person on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  Wednesday remains a remote learning day and dismissal remains at 2:20 pm.  All other safety requirements remain in place.

Please contact your respective school building at 360-875-6041 with any questions.