Logo selection proceeds as public commenter warns of recall, FOIA requests and legal pitfalls

The Marquette Area Public Schools Committee of the Whole said it received roughly 20'30 logo submissions for Marquette Senior High School and will meet with student governance and a professional designer to refine concepts before choosing a final mark.

Board members emphasized student input and community engagement in the design process; recurring themes cited in submissions included a lighthouse motif and a red color palette. Board President Kambenzi said the executive board will meet with student representatives to solicit feedback and then take professional design guidance to develop polished options for review.

During public comment, Margaret Brum of 404 East Magnetic Street identified herself and told the board she will appeal a recall petition decision and intends to submit a series of Freedom of Information Act requests focused on school invoices, vendor relationships and board-member emails. Brum also offered legal advice about protecting the district's intellectual property, urging the board to require a "work made for hire" clause in designer contracts and to file trademark and copyright applications before public release of any logo. "Before you release your logo, you need to file a copyright application and you need to file a trademark application," Brum said. She added that contractors should be required to assign copyright to the district in written contracts to avoid extra costs or disputes.

Brum also said she plans to fund FOIA work by selling T-shirts referencing the issue and warned the board that she has seen other municipalities lose ownership of art when contract language was incomplete. The board did not take action on the points Brum raised during the session; staff and legal counsel would be expected to advise on procurement and IP contract language before finalizing a design.