Mascots, colors selected for new Sioux Falls schools

Mascots and colors have been selected for two future Sioux Falls schools.

The mascot for Ben Reifel Middle School will be the Bison. Crimson and gold, directly from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe's flag, will be the school's colors.

They were approved by surviving members on Reifel's family.

The mascot for Thomas Jefferson High School will be the Cavaliers, which are tied to Jefferson's history as the founder of the University of Virginia.

Its colors will be Kelly green, gold and black.

While the selection for Jefferson's mascot is tied to history, the selection of the school's colors was thoroughly vetted to make sure they would be unique and not copy any nearby schools Jefferson might compete against.

A committee of students came up with the recommendations.

"So we started off with every student from out student advisory board, which is around 16 of us, submit some kind of brand of a mascot name and the colors," Lincoln High School senior Sydnaya Dunn said. "Through that we kinda figured out, we narrowed it down each time with votes, until we came up with our final two."

The students narrowed down from about 10 options for the high school and five for the middle school.

The recommended colors and mascots still need final approval from the school board.

Both schools are expected to open in the fall of 2021.