Some of the old sports banners at Bayfield High School will hang in the gym once again, according to a proposal from District Activities Director Rob Dean.
The old banners were removed before the gym was painted last August, and replaced with new banners, Dean said last fall. That came from a committee recommendation earlier in 2015. But the change drew heated opposition from some BHS alumni in comments on the Times Facebook page and public comments at a board meeting.
Superintendent Troy Zabel said a new committee was created in the fall to look further at the issue.
Committee member Kristin Dallison told the school board Tuesday night, "I read in the paper that the banners were going down and would be auctioned off. I got pretty upset." She especially opposed auctioning the banners. They should stay with the district, she said.
The committee ended up with a proposal to put the old first-place and second-place place team banners up on the south wall of the main gym, Dean said. That's 12 banners. Another 90-some old banners will go on the wall in the new auxiliary gym. All old banners will stay with the district, even if they aren't displayed, he said.
Zabel suggested putting the old first- and second-place team banners in the auxiliary gym.
Dallison said she wants them in the main gym. "The committee likes the old look in the main gym," she said. "People like it for what it is, and they want it back."
In addition to re-hanging the old banners, Zabel said 13 or 14 new banners will be made, including for last fall's state football championship, and a few for some first-place and second-place teams that never got banners. Dean also listed banners for three academic all state teams and one with words to the school song.
Zabel said $5,000 to $6,000 has been requested to have the new banners made.
There was no formal board action on any of this, also no opposition from any board member.
Dean said he'll have a recommendation in the future on how to recognize individual state champions or individual all-state honorees.
