BELTON, Texas — Starting 2022 to the 2023 school year, Belton New Tech High School will become the home of the dragons!
On Monday, the Belton ISD Board of Trustees voted on the school's new mascot, as well as its new school colors: red and purple.
Both the school colors and the mascot have ties to the school and the community's history, a news release said.
First, the school was named after Capt. Henry Waskow, a Belton native and Purple Heart recipient who fought and died in World War II, Principal Kim Winters said in the news release.
“Waskow’s legacy was largely defined by his commitment to helping others and dedicating his life to having a positive impact on those he led, his community and his country," she said.
Students and staff also favored the color purple because of its connection to Waskow and his Purple Heart, the news release added.
“We tossed around a ton of ideas, but the Purple Heart and the meaning behind it is just such a big part of who we are as a campus community. We kept coming back to that,” she said.
The dragon mascot is a nod to Harris High School, the school local African-American students attended in the area before Belton integrated in 1963, the news release said. The students and staff at Harris High were the dragons, the news release added.
“Our students and staff especially liked the connection to Harris High School and how dragons are associated with imagination and creativity,” Winters said. “It feels right on a lot of levels.”
“I’m proud of the way our New Tech leadership sought student and staff voice in this process,” said Superintendent Matt Smith. “The recommendations they brought forward were thoughtful and honoring of the school’s namesake and the area’s history. I know I’m excited to wear my red and purple gear and be the biggest Dragon fan there is.”
The campus currently operates as a program of Belton High School.