Bellefonte creates branding committee after return to ‘Red Raiders.’ Here’s what it will do

Bellefonte Area School District unveiled its new district branding committee at a board meeting on Tuesday.

The committee is a response to the board’s decision at a Jan. 11 meeting to rescind motions approved in April 2021 that removed the use of Native American imagery and the word “red” from the district’s nickname, returning to the Red Raiders.

The new branding committee will decide on any further branding or logo matters for the district, including colors, monikers and artwork. The committee will work on creating a branding guide that will include matters beside the names and logo, like trademarks, the district’s crest, and design differences between schools.

The committee is chaired by board member Jon Guizar. Other members include board members Donna Smith and Andrea Royer as well as Superintendent Tammie Burnaford. Students, staff and members of the community won’t be on the committee but can be included in the committee’s work down the road, board president Jeff Steiner said on Wednesday.

“Initial members determine the scope of the work for the committee and what the activities are going to be,” Steiner said. “They’ll build it out and include other stakeholders, students, staff, administration, people from the community in the different things they’re doing along the way.”

Smith was one of two board members to vote against rescinding the motion on Native American imagery, the other being Julie Fitzgerald. Ten people spoke at public comment during the Jan. 11 meeting asking the board not to return to the original logo and nickname.

The committee is set to present monthly reports to the board until December 2023 or until a complete branding guide is created.