Hays High School mascot to become Hawks in 2021 after ‘Rebel’ retired

Hays High School will have a new mascot after students selected Hawks to replace the controversial ‘Rebel.’ 

The new mascot name was selected by current 9th-11th graders, who will attend the school next year, as well as middle school students in the Hays High School feeder pattern, Hays Consolidated ISD said. 

Students made their choice from nominations chosen earlier in January — Hawks, Raptors, Honey Badgers, Dragons and Hornets. Hays CISD had 1,453 students vote with Hawks receiving 461 votes followed by Raptors with 376 votes, Dragons with 267, Honey Badgers with 191 and Hornets garnering 157 votes. 

The mascot name change came after the Hays CISD Board of Trustees voted to retire the name in July 2020 amid concerns of ties to the confederacy. Students who were uncomfortable with wearing uniforms with “rebels” on them were not forced to wear them, the district said. 

Hays CISD said the next step in its mascot change process will be making graphic design and branding changes. The high school mascot will keep the same red and blue colors. The school will order new student uniforms and begin to change signage around the high school after it selects a logo and branding package, Hays CISD said. A full timeline for the change can be found at www.hayscisd.net/mascot.

The district said the mascot change on a single budget year is estimated to be as high as $800,000 with funding coming from its operating budget or fund balance.  

Hays CISD stated that the bulk of its expenses involve band and athletic uniforms, which are replaced regularly on staggered schedules to spread out the costs over multiple budget years. Additional expenses include replacing the gym floor logos, equipment vehicles and front entrance marquee.