The Johnston school district has introduced a new athletics and activities logo, replacing the original dragon that was designed in 1950.
The replacement has been years in the making, according to the school district website.
“As the Johnston school system grows and is recognized on local, regional, and national levels, having a well-recognized mascot is a part of how we are identified,” said Laura Dillavou, communications and marketing coordinator for the district. “In our case, when we looked at all the confusion of what kind of mark to use for what activity, it was decided to start with a fresh approach that would serve the district for many years.”
The new logo was approved by the school board at a June 24 meeting.
The mascot project was bid out among local marketing groups in January.
To gauge initial feedback, a survey was given to students and staff with various dragon designs and they were asked to describe things they liked and didn’t like. From there, a small committee of students and school officials met several times to go over possibilities, choose a mascot, refine ideas, and give the OK to take the final marks to the board.
Students, staff, parents, and citizens can pick up new dragon apparel in local stores starting this fall. The original dragon will be “retired,” along with any other marks previously used. Complete transfer to the new marks will take time, the district said, as things like sports gear, uniforms, and activity equipment are cycled through.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.