TEAYS VALLEY-- A new name for a new Putnam County school is just a board decision away with "Mountain View Elementary" as the top pick by students and parents.

Principal Doug Pitzer said it's now up to the Putnam County Board of Education to approve the selected name for the new school that up until now has been loosely called Teays Valley Elementary. To accompany the name, the proposed school colors are black and gold with a mountain lion chosen as the mascot.

Pitzer said the selections made by students and parents were almost identical. Students voted Friday and parents voted Monday evening.

"I'm just glad we didn't have any hanging chads to deal with," he added.

The board will review and vote on the selection during their Monday, Oct. 20, meeting with hopes that sometime before Thanksgiving, a new sign will be in place on the school's empty marquee.

Pitzer says if the proposed concepts are approved, the naming committee will be reassembled to look at some designs for logos, fonts and mascots based on some mock-ups being provided by a few school parents that have related design expertise. The committee will then make the final selection on these matters without the issue returning to the students for a vote.

As for the process itself, "It's been fun and exciting. It's allowed everyone to take ownership of their school," Pitzer said. With national elections just around the corner, Pitzer explained that the activities involved in the school's naming process has provided a hands-on learning experience for students in regards to how elections are conducted.

"We had a very diplomatic and democratic process here. I think they did a great job working through the whole thing," Pitzer added, "especially the fifth-graders," who were noted to have taken a leadership role since the process began.

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