Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mascot Retirement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Syosset Board to seek extension to retire 'Braves' mascot as community voices objections
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Rogers said the district will apply for a state extension to remove 'Braves' imagery because full replacement of turf and end-zone graphics cannot be completed this school year; public commenters urged the board to preserve the name and students thanked the district for policy changes on kindergarten delay.
Syosset Central School District officials on Wednesday said they will apply to the State Education Department for an extension to retire uses of the district's former "Braves" mascot because some signage and field graphics cannot be replaced before the end of this school year.
Dr. Rogers, the superintendent, reminded the board and public that the state regulation governing mascots remains in force: "The commissioner's regulation 8 NYCRR 1.23 is still in place, hasn't been repealed, and none of the activity and discussion ... has done anything to change that." He said the board adopted a resolution in May 2023 that retired the mascot and that the district is following the law.
The nut graf: The regulation required retirement of Native American–themed mascots by the end of the 2022–23 school year; Syosset adopted a retirement resolution in May 2023 but officials said physical removal of all uses — including end-zone turf, scoreboards and signage — cannot be completed in the timeframe. The district will ask the State Education Department for an extension and said it believes several other districts have received similar extensions.
Dr. Rogers said the district will request an extension because the end-zone and turf work is large and would be less expensive if done together with other turf projects already planned as part of the multi-year construction program. "If we do those at the same time, there will be less mobilization, demobilization costs, and some economies of scale," he said. He added the district expects to send the request for an extension "within the next couple of days."
Public speakers addressed the board during audience-to-public. Joseph DeBianco, a student, said keeping the Braves name is important to community and school traditions: "Braves is such a historic part of Syosset in general ... I want [my younger brother] to experience what it's like to be a Brave." Other residents thanked the board and administration for recent revisions to policy 51.50 on kindergarten enrollment; speaker Corey Witt said, "I appreciate the district's swift action to alleviate the immediate concern of our group and community."
Dr. Rogers told the public the district is "complying with the law as it exists" and that officials will remain attentive to any state or federal changes. He said enforcement options identified in state guidance could include withholding funds or removal of elected officials, and that the district will proceed according to current law while seeking an extension to complete physical changes.
Ending: The board said it will notify the public when the extension request has been filed and will report further developments as the State Education Department responds.
