On the campus of Anna-Jonesboro Community High School, change is arriving in a way that students, staff, and alumni will see the moment they walk through the doors next fall. A major hallway renovation and the unveiling of a newly designed school logo are coming together to give the school a refreshed look while honoring the traditions that define the Wildcat community.

Principal Brett Detering explained that the building, constructed in 1977, still carries many of the design elements common to that era. Walking through the halls today, visitors might notice colors and features that no longer reflect the identity of the school. “Our building still looks very much like it did in the late seventies,” he said, noting that the school’s blue-and-white Wildcat identity has never been fully reflected in the building’s interior.

That will change this summer as the school undertakes a major renovation of its hallways and cafeteria. The project includes replacing hallway flooring, repainting walls, installing new ceilings and lighting, and updating doors and signage throughout the building. “We’re really going floor to ceiling,” Detering explained. “The tile floors will be replaced with materials that incorporate our school colors, the walls will be painted, and our classroom doors will be updated to a gray color to modernize the look.”

When students leave in May and return in August, he believes they will immediately notice the difference. “I think kids who walk out of here in May and come back in August might not realize they’re in the same school,” he said.

As planning for the renovation moved forward, school leaders realized it might also be the right time to revisit the school’s logo. With new signage and branding planned for the hallways, they wanted a design that clearly reflected Anna-Jonesboro’s identity.

The school ultimately adopted a newly designed Wildcat logo created by a graduate from the Class of 2005 who now works in graphic design. The designer donated his work to the school, creating a symbol that includes details unique to the Anna-Jonesboro community.

“There are several things embedded in the logo that are very specific to us,” Detering said. “We wanted something that told our story and made it clear that this logo belongs to Anna-Jonesboro.”

One of those details is a subtle “AJ” built into the Wildcat’s cheek and jawline. Another appears in the fierce brow of the Wildcat, where the shape of the scowl forms a letter “W” representing the Wildcats.

The logo also includes a lightning bolt with ties to school history. 

Detering explained that the symbol recalls a tradition connected to the football program that began in 2000 when the Wildcats made the playoffs for the first time since 1985. After a sports writer suggested the team might need to “catch lightning in a bottle” to reach the postseason, the football field was painted with a lightning bolt through the school’s AJ emblem. “It was something that people in our community recognized,” Detering said, adding that the designer remembered seeing the symbol growing up and incorporated it into the new logo.

The design process took more than a year and included feedback from faculty, staff, and the school board. While opinions varied, the response from those working in the building each day was largely supportive. “When we asked our staff which version they preferred, about seventy-seven percent selected the new design as their first choice,” Detering said.

The new logo will gradually appear throughout the school as the renovation progresses. It will be incorporated into hallway signage and displays, while traditional elements like the oval “AJ” will continue to remain part of the school’s branding. Apparel featuring the new design is also expected to become available soon.

Detering believes the combination of updated facilities and a refreshed logo will help build pride throughout the school community. “I think these types of changes bring new energy into a building,” he said. “When people walk through our halls, we want them to see who we are and what we’re proud of as a school.”

As Anna-Jonesboro prepares for the renovation and the new Wildcat logo begins appearing across campus, the goal is simple: honor the school’s history while creating a look that reflects its future.