(KAIR)--The naming of a new mascot for the Atchison Public Schools of USD 409 is expected to happen Monday.

That’s the next regular meeting of the Board of Education for the school district, with the School Board, and Superintendent, maintaining that the mascot selection would be made during the board’s July meeting; and, according to the agenda for the session, “the Board will take action regarding the renaming of the mascots.”

The mascot ultimately selected will replace both the Atchison Middle School’s “Braves” and the Atchison High School’s “Redmen” mascots. The school board in April voted unanimously to retire those mascots due to cultural insensitivity toward Native-Americans. Retirement of the mascots followed a long-process, including the use of community input sessions, and studies surrounding the district’s non-discriminatory policy.

A mascot committee has been working, in part through the use of community surveys, to select the new mascot.

The community surveys indicate that a district-wide mascot is wanted, using a red and gold district-wide color scheme.

The “Phoenix” mascot was selected as the top choice by 5 of the 7 groups surveyed.

Monday’s decision is expected to happen during the School Board’s meeting that evening, beginning at 6:00, at the Board of Education Office, located at 626 Commercial Street, in Atchison.