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Moline-Coal Valley board names consolidated elementary school Robert Anoveras Elementary, adopts 'Owls' mascot
Summary
After a community NEST committee and two public surveys, the Moline-Coal Valley School District board voted Dec. 8 to name the consolidated Lincoln Irving–Willard elementary school Robert Anoveras Elementary and adopt the Owls as the mascot; the board approved the recommendation by roll call vote.
The Moline-Coal Valley Community Unit School District 40 Board of Education voted Dec. 8 to name the new consolidated Lincoln Irving and Willard elementary school Robert Anoveras Elementary School and to adopt the Owls as the school mascot.
District leaders described a NEST committee process that included three committee meetings, two community surveys and several parent and student input sessions. The district said Survey 1 collected 119 name entries and 76 mascot entries; after ineligibility screening and committee deliberation, Survey 2 produced more than 2,200 responses on names and roughly 2,195 mascot votes. The NEST committee reviewed the results against board policy criteria and recommended Robert Anoveras and the Owl mascot.
The recommendation cited alignment with the building's design theme — a large tree motif in the school’s central space — and community feedback. "We had over 2,000 members of our community speak," a district presenter said during the meeting, describing the survey turnout and committee deliberations.
Chris Anoveras, representing the family of the namesake, addressed the board. "I'm really humbled… I can't tell you what this means to us," he said, thanking the district and community for the recognition.
During the regular meeting a motion to adopt the recommended name and mascot was moved, seconded and approved by roll call. Board members present recorded their votes and the motion carried. The district said the next steps include finalizing the mascot artwork and communicating implementation details to families; the new school is scheduled to open in fall 2027 as the consolidated elementary serving Lincoln Irving and Willard students.
The board stressed the process emphasized inclusivity and neutrality per board policy requirements for school naming: names should reflect educational values, local history or nature, be easy to pronounce and politically neutral, and should not honor living persons. The district said committee members vetted suggestions against those eligibility rules before making recommendations.
The board did not discuss any alternative names in public beyond the committee’s summary; the motion reflects the committee recommendation as presented. The district plans further outreach on mascot design and branding prior to the school's opening.
