Students in southern Butler County set to begin school year at district with new name

Students in six south Butler County communities will return to classes Thursday for a new school year under a new district name.

More than a year ago, officials in the South Butler County School District began the process of changing the district’s name to Knoch School District.

School officials said the change was sought because most people know the district by the name of its high school.

Knoch Junior-Senior High School is named after Eva Knoch, who donated land on which the school was built. The building opened in 1958 for students in grades seven through 12. The district was formed in 1953.

Knoch School District serves families in Clinton, Jefferson, Penn and Winfield townships and Saxonburg. The district has about 2,100 students.

Changing the name of a school district requires approval by the full Legislature, according to district officials.

State Rep. Marci Mustello, R-Butler, supported the name change and helped usher the request through the legislative process until it was signed by the governor.

To mark the name change, the district is hosting a communitywide “Renaming Festival” from 5 to 7 p.m. today that features food, music and other activities. The event will be held on the lawn at the high school.

The newly named district also has launched a rebranding effort to replace old logos and merchandise with new ones.

State education officials say it is rare for school districts to change their names.

One of the most recent local name changes was in 1987 when Southwest Butler County School District was renamed Seneca Valley School District.