Utah parents rail against train-themed high school, mascot
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Call it a "choo-haha." Parents in Wasatch County are questioning a seemingly innocuous branding theme for a new local high school: trains.
State of play: The Wasatch County School Board is rolling back its decision last month to name the district's new school Iron Horse High — and its team the Thunder — after parents circulated a petition in opposition.
Catch up quick: "Iron horse" is a 19th-century term for a locomotive. The proposed logos showed a train, with the word "thunder" evoking the sound of of an engine charging over the tracks.
- A marketing company enlisted by the district recommended the branding elements to honor the Heber Valley's railroad heritage.
- Some parents, though, were not on board with the concept.
Driving the news: The school board announced Jan. 6 that it now plans to survey county residents about name and mascot options, including Deer Creek or North Fields for the school and Riverhawks for the team name.
- "The board acknowledges the frustration the recent Iron Horse High School Thunder decision and process caused the community," the letter read.
Sticking point: According to the petition, which had 700 signatures as of Friday, opponents said the names "do not resonate with our community."
- "No kid wants to be a locomotive," parent Lynne Allred told the Park Record.
Zoom out: The board's "Iron Horse" decision at a Dec. 17 study session raises bigger questions of compliance with Utah's open meetings law.
- Public bodies may take final action on an issue only if it gives the public advance warning of the vote in the agenda.
- A vote on the school name wasn't on the agenda for the study session — which is separate from the formal board meeting, where votes are normally taken.
The intrigue: The high school building itself is designed to look like a train depot.
- "We've built a $160 million train station. We have to honor that. Everything else is contradictory to that," school board president Tyler Bluth told the Park Record last month.