Great Crossing High School will be the home of the Warhawks

Great Crossing High School’s mascot will be the Warhawks.

The mascot for the new high school was approved Thursday at a Scott County school board meeting.

Renee Holmes, school district spokeswoman, said the mascot was picked after months of taking suggestions from the community, including school students and staff.

Holmes said the image represents forward-thinking, courage and honesty.

Holmes said the mascot will lend itself to possible community events, such as a “Battle of the Birds” with Scott County High School, which has a cardinal as its mascot.

The mascot also carries historical significance. Henry Clay, a Kentucky politician, was the leader of the War Hawks, a pro-war group who favored using military force in the War of 1812.

“It is a unique mascot,” Holmes said. “It allows the school to write its own history.”

The school colors are white, navy blue and kelly green, which pay homage to the district’s past schools: Georgetown High School and Great Crossing School.

The building, which will cost about $58 million, is scheduled to open in August 2019. The high school is expected to hold 1,500 students, with support areas for up to 1,930 students and about 40 regular classrooms. A groundbreaking ceremony is tentatively set for August. It will be built near Elkhorn Crossing School along Betsy Way.

To help pay for the school, the school district earlier this year approved a tax increase, which will appear on Scott County tax bills this fall.

Scott County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hub previously said the tax increase would also help the district build a new elementary and middle school.

This story was originally published July 6, 2017 at 9:40 PM with the headline "Great Crossing High School will be the home of the Warhawks."