CASEY, Ill. (WTHI) - House Bill 1237 recently passed through the Illinois House. Now, it heads to the state senate.

In Casey, the high school mascot has long been a symbol of pride: the Warriors. The school is represented by an arrowhead logo. This bill could force schools like Casey-Westfield to reconsider.

The warrior has been the mascot for Casey-Westfield for more than 100 years.

Over time, the logo has changed. It was once a Native American warrior head and a spear, and about eight to ten years ago, it was changed to the arrowhead.

The superintendent of Casey-Westfield, Mike Shackelford, says the board has been following this bill closely.

"When you read the legislation, you get the idea that the people who are pushing the legislation see us as using this in a derogatory fashion," Shackelford said. "My answer to that would be, what community or what school district would align themselves with anything they don't respect?"

This bill will apply to any public school that is associated in name with Native Americans. That could be names like Warriors, Indians, Braves, Chiefs, or Redskins. Logos like spears with feathers, Indians in headdresses, or arrowheads.

"We use an arrowhead, and we are hoping that it will be reconsidered," Shackelford said. "A warrior can be anything, and people have been using arrowheads for tens of thousands of years, so I don't know if the Native Americans have that market cornered."

Shackelford says he hopes some adjustments can be made to the current legislation regarding Casey-Westfield's situation.

"When we see that and teach that here at Casey-Westfield, we are teaching characteristics like honor, courage, respect, perseverance, and resilience," Shackelford said. "When you think of a Casey-Westfield Warrior, those are the characteristics that we teach here. I understand some people say that doesn't belong to us, and I would disagree."

He told News 10 that the board has yet to talk about any future plans to change its mascot.

Shackelford encourages community members who feel strongly about this subject to reach out to your school representatives to voice your opinion.