OLD TOWN – The Old Town Indians and Braves school mascots will remain the same for now, but a change is scheduled to be discussed again next month.

By a 2-3 vote Tuesday, the school board decided not to change the mascots for the middle and high schools at this time. A meeting was called for 7 p.m. July 19 to discuss the issue again.

Members of the Penobscot Nation have requested the mascot change several times, and Old Town school officials recently brought it up again.

School officials and the Penobscot Nation Tribal Council met last month to discuss the issue that has been on the back burner for several years.

“I think we’ve been kind of pussyfooting around this issue for about a half a dozen years,” board member David Wollstadt said. “In my mind the time has come for the board to take a stand.”

A letter from Penobscot Nation Chief James Sappier in response to the meeting was included in the board members’ meeting packet.

There were no representatives from the tribe at Tuesday’s meeting, but Sappier’s letter indicated that the Tribal Council members were pleased with the meeting and offered suggestions as to what should be done.

The main suggestion was that the mascots be changed and diversity training be provided for all teachers and staff. Similar training for Orono schools was suggested in the letter.

“Your visit was somewhat inspirational, and we now know there may be an opportunity to make change and create a better place,” Sappier said in the letter.

Although a motion was made Tuesday to change the mascots, other board members wanted more community input on the issue and full board attendance at the meeting where a decision is made.

Middle school principal John Keane told board members he attended Old Town schools as a child and returned as an administrator.

“I was incredibly proud to be an Old Town Indian and that hasn’t changed,” he said, but added that times have changed. The mascot no longer is used on school uniforms and is considered an “underground” symbol that pupils aren’t allowed to celebrate as much as they deserve.

High school principal Joe Gallant agreed and added that changing the mascot isn’t the only step the school department needs to take.

“We really need to do some diversity training,” he said, noting that it would take some time but that students would benefit.

School officials recognized that the Indian mascot has created some awkward situations in the past.

“That mascot was always designed to be something that honored the Native American population of our town,” Keane said, recognizing that times have changed since the Indian was selected as the mascot more than 100 years ago.

While more community input was requested, one Old Town High School student spoke Tuesday in favor of changing the mascot.

“I’d rather have a new mascot than have one that we can’t use at all,” Chloe McLeave, who will be a high school junior next fall, said.