Hyde Park naming committee selects 'Old Ephraim Cubs' for new elementary

The naming committee for the new Hyde Park Elementary recommended “Old Ephraim Cubs” as the school name and mascot, committee chair and principal Amy McNeil told the board.

McNeil said the district solicited name and mascot suggestions from the community, received 110 responses and appointed a naming committee that winnowed submissions to three finalists: Alpine Hills/“Pirates,” Berry Hollow/“Badgers,” and Old Ephraim/“Cubs.” A districtwide survey of nearly 300 respondents produced close results: Old Ephraim led with roughly 37.2 percent, Aspen Hills (labeled in materials as Aspen/Alpine Hills) 32.6 percent and Berry Hollow 30.2 percent.

At a follow-up meeting of nine attending committee members, McNeil said six members selected Old Ephraim. She summarized committee discussion noting some community concern about perceived religious connotations of the name “Ephraim” and a broader desire to include historical context. The committee recommended including educational material and imagery (including references from Utah State University special collections) on the district website to explain the local and historical meaning of Old Ephraim.

Board members asked about the degree of consensus and composition of the committee; McNeil said six of nine members present that night voted for Old Ephraim and that the group included parents of prospective students.

Why this matters: the name and mascot will be part of school branding, character programs and community identity; the committee proposed outreach to explain historical references and to incorporate the selection into PBIS and character-development plans.