Penn Hills School District changes name of cyber academy

Penn Hills School District officials have changed the name of their cyber academy a week after discussing changing the district’s Indians nickname and mascot.

The board unanimously approved the switch from CHIEFS Cyber Academy to Penn Hills Cyber Academy at a special meeting Wednesday night.

It was the same meeting in which board members changed the start of the 2020-21 school year to Sept. 8 and approved the district’s school reopening plans during the covid-19 pandemic.

CHIEFS stood for Cyber High quality Interactive Education Fostering Student Success.

“With everything else going on in the world right now, that’s the least of my worries,” board President Erin Vecchio said of the name change. “It was an acronym. It’s never meant to hurt anybody’s feelings.”

There were no changes made to the cyber program’s instructional offerings.

The move comes on the heels of a committee meeting last week that featured a lengthy discussion about changing the district’s mascot and spear logo as well as dropping the district’s longstanding Indians nickname.

It included a presentation by parent Angela Adler, a professor of sociology of sport and doctorate student at the University of Nebraska-Linton, about changing indigenous mascots. She referenced several studies and reports that show Native Americans oppose the use of such mascots and find them offensive.

Residents at that meeting were split on the issue with some saying it was offensive and needed to be changed. Other alumni said they saw it as a source of pride and part of the school district’s history.

Penn Hills Athletic Director Stephanie Strauss recommended dropping the Indians nickname and changing its related images earlier this year.

She said the idea came from talks with other community members, as well as the national discussion of the NFL’s Washington Redskins changing their name to the Washington Football Team for this upcoming season as it seeks to replace its longstanding logo.

The district could phase out the mascot, spear and name in upcoming years as it pursues facility maintenance projects on its fields and gym floors.

District officials tabled any official actions on the mascot and nickname issue until next year.

Board member Meryl Thomas said there needs to be more talk and public input before those decisions. She called the academy name change a “no-brainer.”

“The acronym had nothing to do with Native Americans,” Thomas said. “It was an acronym of words related to education. It had nothing to do with our Indian name. At some point we’re going to have to deal with all that.”

The district partnered with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and Waterfront Learning to provide the full-time cyber program.

More information about the cyber academy is available on the district’s website.