Resident asks Indianola school board for transparency on 'Indianola Indians' signage in new high school

During public comment at the Nov. 17 Indianola Community School District meeting, resident Deb Sheel Larson asked the board for greater transparency about how the district intends to display the 'Indianola Indians' mascot, logo and nickname in the new high school tied to the district's Sept. 2022 $70 million bond.

Larson said she and others requested digital copies of construction plans showing interior and exterior signage but have not received them. She quoted district messaging that the 'signage package is in the design phase' and noted a projected timeline that room signage for Phase 1A/B would be issued for competitive quotes in 'late 2025 or early 2026.' Larson urged the board not to wait until a point when changes would become infeasible or expensive and reminded members of the state of Iowa’s sunshine laws as a reason for public disclosure.

The comment asked the board to make public information that would allow community review before signage is finalized and highlighted concern about installing permanent mascot imagery without broader discussion. There was no formal board action recorded in response to the request at that meeting.