Huntley District 158 to adopt new name, logo

Consolidated School District 158 is seeking to rebrand itself as Huntley Community School District 158 - a name change prompted by officials' desire to emphasize ties to Huntley and get better name recognition when lobbying lawmakers in Springfield.

Most people outside of the area have no clue where District 158 is on a map, said Dan Armstrong, district spokesman.

Having "Huntley" in the name highlights the district's connection to the community, which has a good and growing reputation as a place for businesses and families, he said.

"We want to leverage that and identify with that," Armstrong said. "It aligns us with the community we serve."

Officials also are considering a new logo to help enhance the district's identity. The district hired Wordsworth Design in Naperville to design the logo.

"They were all very enthusiastic about it," Armstrong said of the reaction from school board members.

The proposed changes stem from the district's strategic planning process completed in April. It included a focus on "needing to better communicate who we are as a district," Armstrong said.

"Everything from trying to increase various funding channels to the district, to attracting and retaining high quality staff, encouraging families and businesses to move to the area ... all of these things require having a strong identity and reputation, not just within but outside the local community," he said.

The school board is expected to approve the name change and new logo May 21.