SOUTHSIDE– Southside High School could soon appear as “Southside-Rainbow City” in Alabama High School Athletic Association materials. The requested designation would replace the association’s longtime “Southside-Gadsden” label.

On Wednesday, Aug. 5, the Etowah County Board of Education announced it had formally submitted the request. The board wants the Alabama High School Athletic Association to use the new wording in schedules, rankings, publications, and other communications requiring a geographic identifier.

However, the proposal applies only to athletic uses. The school’s official academic name would remain Southside High School.

Superintendent Julie Talton said the update would provide a more accurate geographic distinction. In a statement to The Gadsden Times, Talton said it would “better reflect the communities served by Southside High School.”

Official city information supports that connection. The City of Southside says the high school serves more than 850 students in grades nine through 12 from the Southside and Rainbow City area. Meanwhile, Rainbow City’s official school directory includes Southside High School among the schools serving its community.

That shared relationship also appears in local civic activities. In April, the Rainbow City Council honored Southside High School’s junior varsity Scholars Bowl team after it won a state championship.

Talton said the change would better represent the school’s students while strengthening its connection to Rainbow City.

The AHSAA has long identified the Panthers as Southside-Gadsden in statewide competition. As recently as May 2025, the association used that designation when reporting the school’s first boys soccer state championship. The association also uses “Southside-Selma” when referring to another Southside High School in state competition.

For now, the proposed change remains a request. The school board’s announcement did not report final approval from the AHSAA.

If approved, “Southside-Rainbow City” would identify the school in AHSAA athletic materials. It would not change the school’s official name, mascot, or academic identity.

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