Kaukauna school board to vote on signage for Galloping Ghost statue after group of students raised concern about potential racist imagery

AnnMarie Hilton, Appleton Post-Crescent
·2 min read

KAUKAUNA - The Kaukauna school board is scheduled to vote Monday night on the approval of new signage added to the Galloping Ghost statue that has sparked recent concerns from a group of students.

According to the agenda for Monday's meeting, the Kaukauna Area School District administration is asking the board to approve a single-sided letter sign to sit in front of the Galloping Ghost statue that would read "Home of the Galloping Ghosts" and an LED message board next to the statue.

If approved, the total cost of the two components will be just under $53,000, which the letter from the administration to the board says has been added to the 2022-23 budget.

The proposed installation timeline for the new signage is listed as mid- to late summer.

With the approval of the signage, the district would keep the Galloping Ghost statue in its current location at the front of Kaukauna High School. This comes after a group of students addressed the board in January during a closed session, saying the statue can evoke racist imagery and isn't reflective of the district's welcoming and inclusive nature.

Adding signage to the statue was one of three options the district said it would explore in response to the students' concerns. The other two were to leave the statue as it is or relocate it away from the front entrance.

The board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Kaukauna Area School District Board Meeting Room — also the Kaukauna High School Library — at 1701 County CE in Kaukauna.

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Reach AnnMarie Hilton at ahilton@gannett.com or 920-370-8045. Follow her on Twitter at @hilton_annmarie.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Kaukauna school board to vote on signage for Galloping Ghost statue