Rieseville elementary consolidation update: staff-led mascot vote, tours and timeline presented

Tamika Goodes presented the board with a progress update on planning for the consolidation of two elementary schools into the new Reedsville (Rieseville) Elementary.

Goodes described staff and community engagement activities already completed, including a May 1 meet-and-greet for teachers, formation of a 15-person branding team divided into subteams, and pen-pal activities between students to ease transition. She said the top three mascot choices from staff and initial feedback are the Riesville Raptors, Riesville Ravens and Riesville Rhinos, and that the district will run a wider survey of parents, students and staff before bringing a mascot recommendation back to the board for approval.

Goodes outlined next steps and dates: school tours and classroom visits by teachers before the end of May, a stakeholder survey the week of May 18, a June 9 farewell walk-through at South End between 4 and 6:30 p.m., and a planned reveal of mascot and branding in the summer. She also noted operational planning (traffic patterns, staggered entry times, and classroom assignments) and staffing steps including posting a one-year administrative assistant position at Booker T and interviewing candidates.

Board members asked clarifying questions about PTO organization and staffing; Goodes said the district would provide follow-up information and take volunteer support for test proctoring and other activities.

Goodes asked the board to "seek your board approval" once stakeholder feedback and final decisions are ready.