Oglethorpe County Schools will keep its classic primary logo, traditional Patriot mascot and royal blue color after a community vote Monday favored preserving its original identity.
The decision followed Monday’s branding guide meeting at Oglethorpe County High School, where approximately 40 attendees — including parents, teachers, students and local leaders — filled out ballots to vote for a primary logo, secondary mascot logo, color palette, heading and body font.
District officials initially planned to narrow the top two choices from the meeting and hold a tie breaker vote among students and staff. However, leadership canceled the second round after tallies revealed clear winners.
Becky Soto, chair of the Board of Education and OCHS grad, said the community made its preferences clear.
“It reflects our history and who we are,” Soto said. “The choices indicate that we are a community that appreciates and respects our traditions.”
The branding initiative was launched by Superintendent Phillip Powell to maintain consistent visual messaging district wide. For Powell, the plan began during his job interview.
“When I interviewed for the job, I wore the other colors, and then they had the athletic colors on,” Powell said. “I got six different stickers for my car, and none of them were the same. .. I’m like, ‘Well, here’s one of the first things we could do. We brand this place, so I know what tie to wear.’ ”
To create the proposed branding guide, the district partnered with Koala Wall, a school branding company owned by Jay Reid, Banks County High School’s former head football coach.
“What we have … is different logos and a lot of different colors,” Powell said Monday. “One of the first things was, ‘Hey, how can we become one school system, one vision, one identity? Not a system of schools, but a school system.’ ”
The meeting gave longtime Patriots a direct voice in shaping the district’s official brand.
“Having a voice, an opinion, definitely means a lot to me,” said Oglethorpe County Athletics Hall of Famer Nichole Raines-Hill, who graduated in 1997. “I'm glad the district presented this opportunity. I’m all about change and growing.”
Raines-Hill was quick to add one condition.
“Just don’t change the colors. Absolutely no navy. I’m all for the royal blue,” Raines-Hill said.
She wasn’t the only OCHS alum pushing to protect the traditional royal blue.
Levi Taylor, a 2005 grad and announcer for OCHS football games, agreed that keeping royal blue is key.
“I have a strong, strong opinion. I do not want navy,” Taylor said. “It’s not Oglethorpe, and it never has been.”
Soto said the passion against navy stems from a temporary shift nearly 15 years ago under past athletic leadership.
“We had a temporary blip where we didn’t have a cohesive branding guide, and a coach decided to change up the navy,” she said. “Our core community, students and alumni believe very firmly in that royal blue.”