Bennington board approves Coyotes as mascot and navy-silver-yellow palette for second high school

The Bennington Public Schools Board approved the color palette and mascot for the district's second high school at its June meeting, voting to adopt navy as the primary color, silver as a secondary color and yellow as an accent, and selecting the Coyotes as the school's mascot.

Superintendent Dr. Claus, presenting the core team's recommendation, said the panel chose navy to keep the new campus visually connected to Bennington High School while creating a distinct identity. The committee recommended silver for a modern secondary color and yellow as a small highlight on uniforms and signage. The board also approved the Coyotes, a local species the presenters said resonates with the school site and symbolizes adaptability and teamwork.

Board members and the core team described a multi-step selection process: community suggestions, iterative narrowing by a 25-person core team (administrators, parents, teachers, community members) and final vetting by the board. The district said it will work with Varsity Brands to finalize exact pantones and final mascot artwork and expects the design work to be completed by December 2026.

The motion to adopt the colors and mascot passed on roll call with recorded yes votes from Tim, Joe, Alison and Jeremy. The district previewed a short promotional video explaining the Badger'and'Coyote storytelling theme (two different animals with a cooperative relationship) and said communications staff will lead public rollout plans.

Officials framed the choice as part of long-range planning for a second high school and said the identity decision is an early step to help families and student programs prepare for the new campus. Staff emphasized the selection is for branding and does not change curricula or governance.