By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Helena High School’s sports teams will be known as the Huskies, and will wear black, silver and bright blue uniforms after the mascot and colors won an election held at the city’s schools on Nov. 27.

Radio personalities Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey announced the new Helena High School mascot name during their morning radio show on Nov. 30.

The Helena High School Color and Mascot Committee narrowed the ballot down to the Hawks and the Huskies based on nominations from Helena residents and students over the past few months.

On Nov. 27, all Helena students cast their ballots at school, and Helena Middle School hosted a voting location for Helena residents.

About 2,700 students at Helena Elementary, Helena Intermediate, Helena Middle and Pelham High Schools cast their votes for the upcoming Helena High School mascot during the election, and were joined by 476 Helena resident voters, said Helena High School Color and Mascot Committee Chairperson Jan Hull.

Crews currently are working to construct Helena High School across Hillsboro Parkway from Helena Middle School. Ferguson previously said the school is scheduled to open in August 2014.

The city of Helena purchased the land for the school, and will construct a sports complex at the school using revenue generated from a 1-cent sales tax increase passed in April 2011.

Once completed, the two-story, 225,000-square-foot Helena High will include 39 classrooms and will be able to accommodate between 1,200 and 1,400 students.

Helena students currently attend high school at Pelham High School. Once Helena High opens, it likely will cut the PHS enrollment in half, school officials said previously.