Agenda Item
a. Renaming of New Middle & High School at the Sequoyah Site
Summary: Presented by: Mr. Andrew B. Ziffer, Board Member, District 1
Request: It is requested that the Board of Education approve the name change for the new middle and high school at the Sequoyah site to Sequoyah Middle School and Sequoyah High School.
Why: The stakeholders of New Sequoyah Middle & High School site requested that the name of the school be renamed Sequoyah Middle School and Sequoyah High School.
Details: The committee, led by Board member Mr. Andrew B. Ziffer, was composed of the required Board members and District and School leaders. Then, parents, a student, and a community member were added to make a total of 13 members.
The committee met on the following dates:
March 24. 2025
April 28, 2025*
May 13, 2025
June 10, 2025
*Public input meeting was April 28, 2025
Contact: Mrs. Michelle Dillard. Chief of Schools, Division of Schools & Leadership, 678.676.0542
Dr. Thomas Glanton, Area Superintendent for High School, Division of Schools & Leadership, 678.676.0329
Mr. Andrew B. Ziffer, Board Member 678.676,0722
Effective: Upon Board Approval, the High School Area Superintendent will work with appropriate divisions to change the school's name.
Status: Attorney Approval Not Required
New School at the
Sequoyah Site
Renaming Process
Update
May 13th, 2025
Schedule
• Kick off Meeting
• Date: March 24, 2025 {COMPLETED}
• Community Input Meeting
• Date: April 28, 2025 {COMPLETED}
• Survey Deadline – May 9th, 2025 {COMPLETED}
• Committee Meeting - narrow choices to three for name, mascot, and color choices
• Date: May 13, 2025, Time: 5:30 pm, @ Sequoyah Middle School
• Final Meeting – Vote on final recommendation based on community input and voting
• Date: June 10, 2025, Time: 5:30 pm, @ Sequoyah Middle School
Survey Results
Survey Results
Survey - Possible High School Names
● Doraville High School 18 High 1 ● School for Global Studies 1
● Sequoyah High School 11 ● Barack Obama High School 1 ● Coretta Scott King High School --> let's
● Assembly High School 2 ● Unity 1 have a school named after a woman!
● Northwoods High 2 ● Bayard Rustin High School 1 1
● Sierra Hills High School 2 ● Jasmine crockett 1 ● Stewart Creek 1
● Victory High School 1 ● Brookstone High School 1 ● Frida Kahlo High School 1
● Alameda High School 1 ● Kamala Harris highschool 1 ● United High School of Doraville
● Sequoyah was a member of the ● Candler Lake High School 1 1
Cherokee Nation ● Kobe Bryant 1 ● Gene Lively High School - Lively High
● At the moment I have none 1 ● Cesar Chavez 1 (after first Doraville Mayor) 1
● Quetzalcoatl Academy 1 ● Northwood High 1 ● Unity High School 1
● Aztec High School 1 ● Charles Person High School 1 ● Sonia Sotomayor 1
● Jim Cherry High School 1 ● Northwoods HS 1 ● Doraville Explorers High School
● Aztec middle school 1 ● Shirley Franklin High School 1 1
● Majestic 1 ● Phoenix High School 1 ● James Earl Carter Jr High School
● Azura Grove High School 1 ● Southern-Jack High 1 1
● One World High, Unity High, Heritage ● Doraville United High School 1
Survey - Possible School Mascot
● Phoenix (Cross Keys) 7 ● Copperheads 1 ● Red Hawks 1
● Dragons (Druid Hills) 5 ● Pistons 1 ● Gators 1
● Wolves 3 ● Barry-Blue The Cool Cat 1 ● Scorpions 1
● Dolphins 2 ● Doraville United - a large globe 1 ● Hawks 1
● Braves 2 ● Stars 1 ● Spartans 1
● Buffaloes 2 ● Bear 1 ● Impala-name of a car produced at Doraville's
● Chargers 2 ● Trail Blazers 1 GM plant. 1
● Jaguars (Stephenson) 2 ● Ducks 1 ● Tiger 1
● Razorbacks 1 ● Armadillo 1 ● Alligator 1
● Nighthawk 1 ● Eagle 1 ● Toros 1
● Tigres or tigers 1 ● Ocelot 1 ● A mongoose 1
● Candler Lake Coyotes 1 ● Elephant 1 ● T-Rex 1
● Assembly Beavers 1 ● Owls 1 ● Lion 1
● Sharks 1 ● Explorers 1 ● Warriors / Indians 1
● Cheetahs 1 ● Bucks 1 ● Lion of Unity 1
● Warriors 1 ● Falcons 1 ● N/a 1
● Copperhead 1 ● Pumas 1 ● Knights 1
● Otters 1 ● Frog 1
Initial Survey - Possible Colors
• Gold 24 • Cardinal Red 2 • Old Gold 1
• Red 16 • Royal Blue 2 • PMS 1
• Green 15 • Teal 2 • Same 1
• Black 13 • Athletic Gold 1 • Scarlet 1
• Blue 13 • Cardinal Blue 1 • Sequoyah's 1
• White 10 • Carolina Blue 1 • Silver 1
• Orange 8 • Crimson 1
• Maroon 5 • Dark Green 1
• Yellow 4 • Dolphin 1
• Charcoal Grey 3 • Forest 1
• Hunter Green 3 • Yellow (Gold) 1
• Purple 3 • Grey 1
• Brown 2 • Kelly Green 1
Appendix
Mascots - DeKalb Middle Schools
● Cedar Grove Middle School: Saints ● Peachtree Middle School: Patriots
● Chamblee Middle School: Bulldog ● Redan Middle School: Raiders
● Chapel Hill Middle School: Wildcat ● Ronald E. McNair Middle School: Astros
● Columbia Middle School: Eagle ● Salem Middle School: Lions
● Druid Hills Middle School: Dragon ● Stephenson Middle School: Jaguar
● Freedom Middle School: Ram ● Stone Mountain Middle School: Pirate
● Henderson Middle School: Tigers ● Tucker Middle School: Tiger
● Lithonia Middle School: Bulldog
● Miller Grove Middle School: Wolverine
Mascots - DeKalb High Schools
● Arabia Mountain High School: Rams ● Martin Luther King Junior High School: Lion
● Cedar Grove High School: Saints ● McNair High School: Mustangs
● Chamblee High School: Bulldog ● Miller Grove High School: Wolverine
● Clarkston High School: The Angora ● Redan High School: Raider
● Columbia High School: Eagles ● Southwest Dekalb High School: Panthers
● Druid Hills High School: Red Devils ● Stephenson High School: Jaguars
● Dunwoody High School: Wildcat ● Stone Mountain High School: Pirate
● Lakeside High School: Viking ● Towers High School: Titans
● Lithonia High School: Bulldog ● Tucker High School: Tiger