Hays High School students will select their next fight song by Nov. 13—unless they decide to compose a new one or commission one to be composed. Hays High School’s band has been playing “On Wisconsin” when the Rebel football team has scored this season—after decades of “Dixie” being the school’s fight song. The switch was made July 28 when school administration sent a letter to parents stating the fight song was being removed “because of the song’s potential to divide current and future students.” “Dixie” has historically been associated with the Confederacy and blackface minstrelsy. In August, Hays CISD Superintendent Michael McKie announced Hays High School students would pick their next fight song. At a Sept. 21 meeting the HCISD board of trustees received the timeline for the selection of the fight song. Neil Bonavita, HCISD director of student service, said the process has begun with the formation of committees. The first committee will determine criteria for the next fight song, such as the melody and theme of the song, which must be completed by Oct. 14. The criteria will then be published online. Students will then nominate songs. By Oct. 30 a committee will apply the criteria to the nominated songs and whittle down the list. On Nov. 11 a vote will take place to determine the fight song. Board President Meredith Keller said the fight song issue is distracting from instruction. She said she would like for the decision to be made sooner than later. “I think that we’ve had a struggle, and I think some of that is self-induced,” Keller said. “I think we’re in a bad position here with our community. I want to see resolution to this matter one way or another. We have got to move on. … This is taking too much attention and time.”