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OACSD Update:  On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, the New York State Board of Regents voted unanimously to ban the use of Indigenous mascots, nicknames, and imagery by the state's school districts.  This was the official vote on the directive that the New York State Department of Education sent to all districts on November 17, 2022, followed up with more information on December 1, 2022.

During this time, the district has collected significant stakeholder feedback and questions while forming committees to navigate the process and regulations.  A joint stakeholder committee met last night to discuss the latest updates and plan how the district will comply with the regulations.

A specific timeline of events will still need to be completed, but here is where we are currently:

  • The NYS Board of Regents decision made on April 18th will be a permanent rule as of May 3rd.

  • Districts must commit to replacing their Native American name, logo, and/or imagery by the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

  • Districts have until the end of the 2024-2025 academic year to remove and replace names, logos, and/or imagery.

As we move forward, two committees will be working simultaneously to achieve the following:

A student group from Owego Free Academy will guide the process to comply with the regulation.  The student committee will continue seeking feedback from all stakeholders and present proposals to the Board of Education and the school community soon.  

Our community stakeholder committee will focus on how to respectfully remember and honor our district's history within the regulations and continue to teach the historical significance of our area to current and future OA students.

The latest information and future updates can be found on our website here: https://www.oacsd.org/page/mascot.

Please reach out using Let's Talk! with any questions here: https://www.oacsd.org/page/lets-talk.