The citizenry of Gooberville were up in arms again with their school board. This was often the case. Goobers were rarely happy with their school board members.

For years, Gooberville grew at a phenomenal rate. Due to a state law, the schools were not allowed to be considered as part of the equation when approving more development. The Gooberville School District filled with kids it had no place for. The schools became overcrowded. The citizens became angry that their children attended schools that were so crowded, students were using desks on a timeshare basis, half the class standing, while the other half sat. A bell would ring, and they all switched places.

No matter how angry the population became, they still refused to pass bonds to fund new schools. They weren’t so angry as to want to actually pay to fix the situation. They had other things to be angrier about.

The citizens weren’t angry that their students could barely read when they graduated. They were angry the football team had not won a game in five years. No one mentioned that the star of the last championship football team had been unable to attend college, because he was illiterate. To teach him a lesson, the citizens ran one high school principal out of town when he suggested that academic achievement should mean more than sports achievement.

The citizens weren’t angry that their students had few skills to bring to the workplace when they graduated. They worried, instead, what color clothes could be worn at school. Some parents were upset that little Johnny couldn’t wear his new Big City Doofus jacket to school. They told the school board, “I’m a Doofus. My wife is a Doofus. My son is a Doofus. We are part of Doofus Nation. My son should be allowed to wear his Doofus jacket.” The school board refused to yield, because it turned out that some local gangs were part of Doofus Nation, also.

Finally, the fine citizens had enough of this situation with the overcrowding. They passed a bond to build a new high school in Gooberville. Goober students would finally have the new school they needed. Of course, they passed it just as one in four homes in Gooberville was being foreclosed. People were leaving Gooberville in droves, leaving empty houses with brown lawns behind.

Old time Goobers didn’t even want the school. The football team finally won a game for the first time in years, when an outsider was brought in to run the team. All was well now at the school, thought the old timers. Glory had been restored. The new school would dilute the talent pool.

But a bigger controversy erupted in Gooberville. What would be the name of the new high school? Gooberville High was taken. They thought about calling it Gooberville High Two, but decided no, that might be confusing.

The more militaristic in the community wanted it called Veterans Memorial. This was in part because most Gooberville graduates would probably have to join the military to find a job, so they might as well get used to it now.

Some wanted to call it Freedom High, an interesting name considering school policies on leaving campus and student dress.

Finally, the school board decided to have a contest. They put together a team to submit names. A vote would be held to decide. Students would text their selection between the hours of 9AM and 4PM on the cell phones they were not supposed to have on campus to select the name of their choice.

The school board received the votes and made a decision. They would ignore all the choices. They decided it would be easier to use the name people were already calling the school: That Other High School.

It was used commonly around town, as in, “My daughter will not be going to That Other High School.” “That Other High School will ruin the football team.” “I didn’t go to That Other High School and neither will my kids.” “Why the heck are we building That Other High School?” “That Other High School is not going to play in our stadium, are they?”

And so, that controversy was settled. It was time to move on to more important matters in the district. Number one was what would be the mascot of That Other High School? Someone suggested “The Scapegoats,” but no one could spell it.