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Canastota Central Schools would like to provide some clarification regarding the school mascot issue that has resurfaced in recent media coverage. As you know, it was announced that a new name had been selected at last Thursday’s Homecoming events. After extensive feedback from the Canastota school community, and with 1635 votes cast, Canastota will be known as the “Cavaliers” moving forward. We are incredibly happy for our students in particular, as they are extremely excited about building on the Canastota tradition with their new identity.

A few days after this exciting announcement of a new chapter for Canastota, we began seeing news reports circulating about a potential modification of the 2023 New York State ban on the use of indigenous names, mascots and logo in public schools. We understand how this news cycle can cause confusion, and we have attempted to seek clarification. After receiving clarification from the State Education Department, it was confirmed that they have not reversed the 2023 ban on the use of names, imagery and logos, nor have they provided schools with any direct communication that would lead us to believe that this type of action will be forthcoming.

Through the statements the NY State Department of Education issued to the media, it appears that the narrow loosening of restrictions applies only to the ability of local school districts to allow employees to wear clothing associated with native American imagery. There has been no action on the part of the State reversing the ban implemented in 2023. The reason for this confusion is two-fold; first, the State Education Department did not communicate the potential modifications to school districts with any advance warning or clear explanation of what happened. This lack of clarity was compounded by media coverage that oversimplified the scope of the potential modifications.

To be clear, all actions taken by the District remain in effect regarding the formal name change, and there is no action from New York State paving the way for districts to revert back to banned names and images. We completely understand why the events of the past week have been confusing. In any event, the Canastota students have embraced our new “Cavaliers” identity, and we look forward to soliciting input from our school community in the coming days regarding the selection of our new mascot/logo. More information will be coming out in the next few days as we solicit your input in creating our new mascot and logo. Thanks again for your patience and understanding as we navigate through these changes.

We look forward to continuing to build on our school’s proud traditions as the Canastota Cavaliers!

WE'RE HIRING! JOIN OUR TEAM!

Canastota Central School District is seeking a Long-Term Building Maintenance Mechanic to work district-wide!

Job Details:

Position: Long-Term Building Maintenance Mechanic

Start Date: Immediately upon BOE approval

Hours: Monday – Friday (8 hours/day)

Pay Rate: $24.70/hr

Location: District Wide

Qualifications:

High School Diploma required

2+ years of experience in general building maintenance or standard trades (carpentry, plumbing, etc.) or equivalent combination of training & experience

Valid NYS Driver’s License

Must meet Civil Service qualifications and requirements

Application Deadline: Tuesday, October 13, 2026, by 4:00 PM

How to Apply:

Interested candidates must sign and submit their application to the District Office by emailing:

Tami Patane: tpatane@canastotacsd.org

Sue Merrell: smerrell@canastotacsd.org