Christian County Public Schools officials moved one step closer to bringing forward an identity to the new high school merger Thursday night, when Assistant Superintendent of Operations Josh Hunt revealed details from the poll conducted with students, staff and the public in early November.
Whittled down to five school names, five color combinations and five different mascots before a public ballot was released, Hunt noted two names — Hopkinsville Christian County Academy and Christian County High School — were overwhelming favorites among voters.
Two color palettes — Black/Royal Blue and Red/Black — and two mascots — Wolves/Wolfpack and Bulldogs — were also among the top choices of the public.
Hunt said further discussion from the naming committee — which is comprised of two board members, five school administrators, three high school students and two middle school students — with locals has led to a strong desire of the word “Academy” being involved in the school’s name.
Because of this, Hunt said the two finalists for the school’s name, at this point, are “The Academies of Hopkinsville-Christian High School” and “Hopkinsville Christian County Academy,” which brings along Gateway in its combinations.
Hunt also noted that the Black/Royal Blue color pairing, with the Wolves/Wolfpack mascot — a nod to the Hopkinsville Attucks High School Wolves that went defunct in 1967 — would very likely be the top choice moving forward.
CCPS did not take a final vote on Thursday to cement such a decision, but Hunt did note that facility architects are going to need a final decision — or something extremely close — by late January, as the building project hits its next phase.
Two other schools in Christian County, both private, have “Academy” in their names: University Heights Academy and Heritage Christian Academy.
In other news, CCPS officials unanimously approved a state of emergency for Pembroke Elementary School in line with the Kentucky Department of Education — allowing Superintendent Chris Bentzel to make expeditious decisions regarding its repair without the waiting process required for most BG projects.
The school suffered considerable roof damage, water damage and structural upheaval in its front-entrance area during last Friday and Saturday’s storms, and there’s an immediate need for some reconstruction.
