Highland Park middle schoolers got a style upgrade this summer, and so did their school.
Fifth through eighth graders ended the year as Raiders but returned to classrooms in August as Scots. Highland Park ISD’s board of trustees approved the mascot change last spring after almost 80% of respondents to a community survey said they favored the switch.
Parent-teacher organization leaders said they hope adopting the high school’s blue and gold builds middle schoolers’ pride for their school and helps them take responsibility for their performance.
“It’s a trickle-down effect,” McCulloch Intermediate School parent-teacher organization president Brooke Garner said. “‘Once a Scot, always a Scot.’ Well, that starts now.”
This summer was optimal timing for a spirit shift at McCulloch Intermediate School and Highland Park Middle School, trustees explained in March. The campus was already due to receive a fresh coat of paint, new mascot graphics, replacement athletic uniforms, and other improvements with November 2024 bond funds. The district did not need to use operational dollars to make the mascot transition.
The impact of the upgrades begins at the schools’ entrance, where the emblem near the front doors has been reimagined for the new Scots. The cafeteria is now the Scots Cafe, and the Raider Shop has become the Scots Supply Shop.
The campus’ gymnasiums are transitioning from the home of the Raiders to the Scots, and red is being repainted with navy blue throughout the building.
The mascot and color changes are still underway, explained Garner and HPMS PTO president Jacky Pincoffs. The PTO plans to display information about upcoming work so that parents and students can stay informed of its progress.
Students had a chance to purchase Scots-themed spirit wear before the school year started. But even though they’re now wearing blue and gold, they won’t be mistaken for young-looking high schoolers. Parent teacher organization apparel chairs Nina Toups and Annie Cochran, along with graphic design chair Allison Ellis, worked to create gear targeted to teens and tweens.
Options included designs that were both classical and more innovative, such as a hoodie with pastel lettering and a violet shirt with a floral design.
“There are so many Scots offerings. We wanted to do something different, and so they really spent their time saying what is unique,” explained Garner. “What a middle school kid likes may be different from what a high schooler likes.”
Other changes at MIS/HPMS aren’t solely cosmetic. The district completed the schools’ new turf field and track last spring. Both are already being well-used by students and community members who remember the prior field, which Garner remarked became a “mud pit” on rainy days.
“It’s a usable field for the school community and for the community at large,” she said. “That’s really what our neighborhood schools are about.”
The field upgrades and multiple other improvements, such as bathroom remodels, significant upgrades to the auditorium, and a renovation to the teacher cafe, were funded by the 2024 bond. The PTO has added some extra love to turn the teacher cafe into a welcoming space where staff can decompress during the day.
The district has replaced retiring principal Amanda Reyes with two new leaders. Katie Schuttler, a former principal and assistant principal in Carroll ISD, will take the helm at MIS, while Stefanie Powell, an instructional coach and assistant principal in HPISD, has been tapped to serve as principal of HPMS.
The district decided to return to a two-principal model after seeking feedback from parents and staff, Pincoffs explained.
“They heard the request of their staff and their parents,” she said. “They listened. And I feel thankful for that.”
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