The Hays CISD board of trustees approved naming the Jaguars the mascot of the Moe and Gene Johnson High School on Monday night. The school's colors will be black and gold. Over the past few months the HCISD community, student body and the Superintendent Student Advisory Panel were able to weigh in on what they thought should be used to mark Johnson High's identity. The process involved open nominations, a ballot finalization by the panel and voting by all HCISD secondary students. Leading up to the opening of Hays CISD’s newest high school, the advisory board suggested black and gold to be Johnson High School’s school colors and the Jaguars for the mascot to HCISD trustees on April 16. Voters were able to choose among:

  • Jaguars: black and gold, or blue and gold
  • Nighthawks: black and silver, or dark gray and gold
  • Broncos: black and teal, or blue and orange
  • Dachshunds: black and bronze, or green and white
  • Cardinals: black and red, or red and deep yellow
Jaguars received 337 votes, or 35 percent of the votes, while Dachshunds followed second with 22 percent of the vote.
Trustee Vanessa Petrea voiced concerns of the school having an unoriginal mascot with other area schools having a similar mascot such as Hubburd Jaguars and Austin LBJ Jaguars. Board president Meredith Keller said she did not agree with the choices of black and gold for the school colors since the gold would print yellow, giving off a bumblebee vibe. The board approved the mascot 7-0, while the school colors were approved 6-1.