As the end of the school year approaches, so does the deadline for state public schools to change their indigenous-themed mascots.
While some schools, like Massapequa, have opposed the state’s “mascot ban,” the Syosset community is beginning to vote on their new mascot.
Previously known as the “Braves,” Syosset is one of numerous Long Island schools mandated to replace Native American team names, logos, and mascots. The mandate, regulated by the state in 2022, originally tasked schools with removing indigenous mascots by the end of the 2022-2023 school year, but that deadline was later extended to June 2025.
In May 2023, the board of education voted to eliminate the use of its former mascot and “any vestiges of the name,” the school website says.
The community vote, open through May 31, allows voters to choose two of four mascots, deciding between the Syosset Sabres, Syosset Thunder, Syosset Titans, and Syosset Storm.
The board of education announced its plans for a new mascot and invited community members to sign up for its Mascot Selection Committee at its November meeting. According to the school website, the committee received 243 sign-ups.
At the November board of education meeting, Superintendent Thomas Rogers said schools do not have to implement a new mascot by the end of the school year, but must remove all imagery of previous ones. He said the district wanted to change the mascot at the same time, so the facilities would only have to be changed once.
Syosset isn’t the only Nassau County school district impacted by the state’s regulation. Sewanhaka changed its mascot to the Ravens last May, while other districts, including Massapequa and Wantagh, have filed litigation against the state in opposition.
Since the district introduced the committee in November, it has met four times, with attendance varying from 15 to 60 people per meeting. The committee also conducted community surveys for input throughout the process.
In January, the committee proposed nine team names, which were whittled down to four in February and finalized on May 19.
Now, the fate of the Syosset mascot is in the hands of the community, with a choice between the Sabres, Thunder, Titans or Storm.
The school said the community vote is the “final phase” of the change, via their Facebook page. A mascot announcement will be coming in the following weeks, the school said.
