Killeen ISD Has Introduced Four Awesome New Mascots
Killeen Independent School District will usher in four new elementary schools next school year, and with them comes four new mascots.
As Killeen continues to grow, so does the need for new schools. The 2021-22 school year will see four new elementary schools opening and three old schools closing.
According to Taina Maya with Killeen ISD, the district's Communications & Marketing Department worked with campus leaders and various committees to develop a mascot for each new campus.
Let's meet the new mascots starting with the Joeys at Killeen Elementary on Rancier Avenue. This new elementary will combine both East Ward and West Ward elementary schools. East Ward shut down a couple of years ago so construction could start for the new elementary school. West Ward will close after this school year is finished. The Joeys (which is what they call a baby kangaroo) will pay tribute to Killeen's first mascot, the Killeen High School Kangaroos. The Joeys - kind of like Kangaroos in training!
The Clifton Park Elementary School on South Second Street will combine the current Clifton Park Elementary with the current Bellaire Elementary Schools to form the Clifton Park Jaguars.
Next up is the new Pershing Park Elementary School, which is already open. That will be the new home of the Pumas. Pershing Park Elementary will also combine students from West Central Texas Expressway, which is already closed, and Sugar Loaf Elementary School, which is scheduled to close after the current school year.
And finally, meet the Pat Carney Cubs. The new Pat Carney Elementary School will open next school year in the south Clear Creek corridor on Azura Way. Pat Carney Elementary School is named after Patricia “Pat” Brann Kemp Carney, an educator in Killeen for 27 years, and was one of the 23 victims that died in the 1991 Luby's shooting. It's good to see Killeen ISD pay tribute to her memory and dedication to her students with this new school.
Personally, I think all four mascot names are perfect for their elementary schools, so if you have kids attending these schools next year, now you have a mascot to rally behind.