Building gets a name:
Jackson Liberty H.S.
Teams will be Lions;
school colors will be
red and silver
JACKSON — Residents of Jackson can now stop calling the structure being built off North Hope Chapel Road "the new high school" and start referring to it by its new and proper name — Jackson Liberty High School.
According to a press release from the school district, the Board of Education has voted unanimously to follow the recommendation of students and staff to give the facility its official name.
"We all felt this name complemented the name Jackson Memorial High School, which honors veterans," said board President Michael Hanlon. "The name ‘Liberty’ is also a nice outward recognition of the patriotism and devotion our community feels for America."
The name was one of two recommended by a committee made up of board members, staff, coaches, parents and students.
The panel also recommended the school colors — red and silver — and the board concurred.
"That vibrant red color is so very much part of what identifies Jackson as Jackson," said board member Linda Lackay, who chaired the committee. "Using it for a new school will be a connective thread between the two high schools, while the silver color really sets this school apart from Jackson Memorial, which uses black as its secondary color."
The board was also unanimous in deciding the name of the school’s mascot would be the Lions. The name differs from the names Pride and Eagles, which were recommended by the student-staff committee.
"The committee’s suggestions were great, but the board felt it was best to use another "big cat" in the school name to complement the other mascot names in the district," said Lackay. "The name Lions illustrates the same majestic, proud qualities that make a mascot name so meaningful."
Hanlon and Lackay said the board realized the mascot name duplicates that of Lacey High School (whose colors are blue and silver) and Middletown North (whose colors are orange and black), but that they were confident that Jackson’s tradition of excellence and sportsmanship would ensure that the school would maintain its own identity.
The lion is also the mascot for nearby McAuliffe Middle School, although it has not yet been determined what students will attend each high school.
Lackay said she is grateful to the committee for being the board’s "eyes and ears" in the community and for representing their peers so commendably.
The committee included middle school students, administrators, staff members, coaches, parents and board members Lackay, Gus Acevedo and Dan Gross. The group was asked to get a feel for what their friends and neighbors felt was important in a name.
"We wanted the process to represent all facets of the school community and we think the committee accomplished that," said Lackay. "Our thanks go out to the members who were instrumental in helping us to reach our decision."
Hanlon said he is glad to be able to begin shaping the identity of this new school.
"It is fitting that as the building takes shape so rapidly, we can now call it by its proper name," Hanlon said. "I hope the entire Jackson community will embrace this decision and help us prepare to welcome the Jackson Liberty High School Lions into the ‘pride’ that is the Jackson School District."
While the board was considering a name for the school, crews have been busy turning tons of steel and miles of pipe and conduit into a building. The project is on schedule for a 2006 opening, according to the press release.
"We still have many decisions to make during the coming year, including determining who will attend each high school and how to balance one curriculum between two facilities," said Super-intendent of Schools Thomas Giala-nella. "But just like the steel beams that are going up one-by-one, we are continually making progress toward opening our doors to another quality facility."