Board seeks names, mascot for new Bluffton school; Bieber won't be one of them

Parents and students of the new elementary school to be built in Bluffton could soon be cheering for the Raiders, the Sharks or the Panthers -- a decision that is up to the community and the Beaufort County Board of Education.

In recent weeks, a committee has worked to pick a name, mascot and colors for the new prekindergarten through eighth-grade school on Davis Road, which is expected to open in August 2015.

The committee -- which includes two school board members, several district officials and parents -- has narrowed the selection to three options for the name, mascot and colors:

• River Bluff Academy; the Sharks; royal blue, orange, black
• River Ridge Academy; the Raiders; purple, black, silver
• Palmetto Academy; the Panthers; red, black, white/silver

Many students were also involved in this process, which led to some interesting suggestions, according to Anderson. Some wanted the school to be named after Justin Bieber, and the mascots be the One Direction band members, she said.

Community members can pick one of the three options in a survey (click here to go there) . Based on the feedback, the committee will make its final recommendation for the name, mascot and colors to the full school board May 20.

"It would be hard for me to pick a personal favorite because I think they are all really great options," Anderson said. "But we will know soon. We really want the community to buy in and be excited about their new school."

Follow reporter Sarah Bowman at twitter.com/IPBG_Sarah.

Related content:

• Process for picking names, mascots, colors for new Bluffton school underway, March 18, 2014
• Name, Mascot, Color survey

This story was originally published May 12, 2014 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Board seeks names, mascot for new Bluffton school; Bieber won't be one of them."