“The hardest/toughest animal to kill is a school mascot” is a popular saying with school administrators, especially when there is talk about closing a school. “The hardest animal to kill in this state is the school mascot” was published in an Illinois newspaper in 1985.
 
   
4 October 1985, Herald & Review (Decatur, IL), “Central Illinois: Educators: Changes coming for schools” by Jane Jankowski, pg. A3, col. 1:
Two Central Illinois educators say a new reorganization law will cause a few reductions in the number of school districts across the state, but warn that changes—particularly in rural communities—are imminent.
 
“The hardest animal to kill in this state is the school mascot,” said Donald Magee, superintendent of the Argenta-Oreana School District.
 
28 May 1994, Herald & Review (Decatur, IL), “MACON: Purple fades to green,” pg. A4, col. 5:
“A guy named Roger Britton, who was superintendent here for years, said the hardest animal to kill is a school mascot,” Glan said.
 
30 April 1998, Rockford (IL) Register Star, “Mutiny threatens Northview Pirates: The elementary school’s mascot is under attack” (AP), pg. 6A, col. 4:
But they’re finding that the mascot is the “hardest animal to kill,” she said.
     
13 January 2002, Milwaukee (WI) Journal Sentinel, “Rural realities” by John Kelly, pg. 65:
“The hardest animal to kill in Illinois is a school mascot,” said Max Pierson, a former school superintendent who now teaches at Western Illinois University and prepares consolidation studies for districts.
 
mlive (Michigan)
School consolidation: The most difficult animal to kill is a school mascot
By Dave Murray
on August 15, 2010 at 4:07 AM, updated August 15, 2010 at 7:21 AM
In Rockford, Ram pride runs deep.
 
People strolling through town will soon encounter 4-foot-tall Ram statues proclaiming school loyalty. Ram’s head stickers peer from countless car windows. Several downtown stores sell “Ramware,” the orange-and-black attire of choice for the 13,000 people who pack the football stadium on fall Fridays.
 
But would families still be as loyal to their Rams — or their Red Arrows in Lowell or
Rebels in Godfrey-Lee — if their superintendent, buses and lunch supervisor were based across the county instead of across the street?
 
The most difficult animal to kill, it’s been said, is a school mascot.
     
Twitter
Morgan Braucht‏
@coachbraucht
Replying to @beauspencer
@beauspencer interesting. I made mention of all the signs on a recruiting trip that direction. The hardest animal to kill is a school mascot
2:16 PM - 11 Mar 2012
 
Twitter
Scott T. Holland‏
@sth749
@featherchick @tt_dgiuliani State Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, 2011: “The most difficult animal to kill is the school mascot.”
1:48 PM - 5 Jan 2016
 
Twitter
Mark Smith‏
@SmithStem
Kristen Amundson of @NASBE “The hardest animal to kill is a high school mascot” #epfpWPS #localcontrol
1:58 PM - 20 Apr 2015
 
Twitter
Chet Edinger‏
@ChetEdinger
@jlkokes the hardest animal to kill in SD is a high school mascot. People need to realize schools are about education, not jobs.
7:28 AM - 14 Feb 2017
 
New Castle (PA) News
Discussion starter With tax hikes and budget deficits all around, it’s time to talk about consolidation
June 28, 2017
The old joke asks, “What’s the hardest animal to kill?” Answer: The school mascot. The quip refers to the reaction often seen from the public when talk turns to consolidating their community school district with another. There’s more than a grain of truth to it — but for how long? From the budgets we’ve seen put forth by local schools, we have to think that life support could be in the not-too-distant future for some of those mascots.