Paw Paw Public Schools Superintendent Rick Reo says he’s glad the community is moving forward with the proposal of a new team name following an extended period of controversy over the old one. The Paw Paw Public Schools Board of Education voted in March to drop the old Redskins nickname, and the Nickname Task Force this week announced it’s recommending the Red Wolves to be the new name. Reo tells WSJM News students led the process.
“After the decision to retire the Redskin, I kind of stepped out of the process and allowed our curriculum director, Corey Harbaugh, to lead the student group through this process of finding a new nickname they’d like to recommend to the board for adoption,” Reo said.
Reo says the Red Wolf would be an appropriate name for the community’s team.
“We love the idea of wolves traveling in packs and relying upon each other and supporting one another, and that is very symbolic, I think, of what we need here in Paw Paw and what we’re going to strive to do with our students and our community.”
Reo also notes Paw Paw would be the only district in the state with the Red Wolves nickname, making it unique. He says the district is working with a firm on imagery to use along with the name should the board of education approve it. That decision will be made at a July 13 meeting.
