Corning, Villisca students propose new school names, mascots

CORNING — Corning and Villisca school districts are entering into a whole-grade sharing agreement for the 2013-14 school year and, during a joint meeting Wednesday, began discussing a new school name and mascot for the combined school district.

Jason Poston, president of the Villisca School Board, said Tuesday the Villisca student council presented five school name and mascot combination including 3-Rivers Jaguars, AdMon (A&M) Timberwolves, County Line Patriots, CoVille (CV) Panthers and South Valley Bobcats.

Meanwhile, Corning student council presented mascots during the joint meeting, including the Gators, Twisters, Wildcats, Cobras and Bearcats. Willie Stone, superintendent at Villisca and Corning, said Corning student council will be brainstorming school names soon, and they will be reviewed and approved by the school board.

“It’s exciting,” Stone said. “Selecting these names and mascots is creating some excitement between both schools. The students from both schools have come together on this project, worked together and are getting to know one another and seeing that, for me, has been the best part of this process.”

Stone said once the Corning school names are presented and approved by the school boards, both student councils will then collaborate to reduce the list to six school name and mascot combinations. From there, the student body from grades six through 12 from both schools will vote. The school name and mascot acquiring the most votes will be the new name of the school district.

Stone said a new name and mascot could be decided as early as May.