Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Meeting planned for next week
By RICHARD JENKINS
Ironwood — The Ironwood Area Schools is examining its branding efforts in order to get all the district’s teams and clubs on the same page, the board of education learned Monday. The first step of this process will begin next week as the district will hold a public meeting to discuss school color options.
Ironwood Superintendent Travis Powell and Athletic Director Gordy Erickson said the district’s various teams have gotten uniforms in different shades and colors over the years.
“There’s so many different shades out there … you walk around, there are so many different colors,” Erickson said. “The color we’ve pretty much chosen the last decade or so is Cardinal Red, but it’s hard to get the company that makes it the way we like it.”
The initial meeting to discuss the district’s school colors will be Sept. 26, 3:30 p.m. in Study Hall 230 of the Luther L. Wright K-12 School.
Several coaches are interested in purchasing new uniforms and so district officials said it would be a good time to standardize things.
Erickson said he would have several current uniforms at the meeting so participants can see some of their options.
The meeting is the start of the district’s effort to consolidate its various colors and mascots into a single choice or two to make the district more recognizable
“I want to make sure we have a color that is identifiable as Ironwood’s school color, that we choose a mascot, that we have the same font on our letterhead — whatever it may be,” Powell said. “It’s part of how we market ourselves is having an identifiable logo, mascot, school color, all of that kind of stuff.”
Powell acknowledged the decision on school colors will be the first step in what could be a long and possibly contentious process.
He said Wednesday’s meeting is open to the public or anyone interested in contributing to the decision.
“I’m hoping this is crowded,” Powell said. “Alumni, current staff, parents, community members, students — whomever has a vested interest in our school and wants to have input on our colors ... they’re welcome.”
In other action:
—The board approved a one-year contract with food service director Mary Hampston Kusz, using almost all the same language as the previous contract.
—The board passed a resolution ratifying the purchase of bonds approved in the August election.
—The board approved the personnel report as presented, filling a number of vacant positions.