As of February 23, 2026, the new mascot for Norte Vista High School has been confirmed  to be no longer the Norte Vista Braves. To be put into effect the beginning of the 26-27 school year, Norte Vista is to be known as the Norte Vista Toros. Due to the passing of the Assembly Bill 3074, to be implemented on July 1, 2026. The toro; translated in English meaning bull, is an animal that honors Hispanic cultural roots, with a focus on family, pride, and “The Herd” mentality, as well as core themes of strength and legacy. This new transition of the mascot brings many new perspectives, both from the school staff and students.

“I feel that the mascot choice was fitting for Norte Vista…” Sophomore Joseph Rincon (10) said.  “The Toros stand for what I believe to be in Norte Vista’s best interest, but personally, I feel the Raptors were better, in my opinion. There are not as many raptor schools around Riverside, and the raptors make for a pretty nice-sounding title,” Rincon said.

Joseph Rincon was one of the students on the ASB Council who helped to make the decision for a new mascot. In addition, sophomore Giovanni Sanchez alongside Principal Marquez helped organize the meetings for the mascot change.

“It was just time for a change. It’s like honoring our roots and where we come from, as a school population, because we’re 93.9% Hispanic and Latino,” Sanchez said.

The process of choosing the mascot was long and tedious, as there were many options as to what the mascot could be. In the end, the Mascot Committee meeting decided on 3 mascot choices, and students had 2 weeks to vote on the new mascot.

“I mean, if we think about the Toro or the bull in different images, or even in different cultures, the first thing that comes to mind is when I hear Toros, I think about the Spanish bullfights, where it’s a really majestic, strong animal”, Dr. Vilchez said.

With different views between students’ mascot choices, they are content with Toros being in the school’s best interest. Many students find common ground with the new mascot change and are content with it, tapping into the cultural roots of the school, along with Novi staff being satisfied with the change.

“This is year 22 for me here at Norte Vista. So, for me, I was not surprised. We had some students who were trying to organize and get the mascot changed a couple of years back, and it just never happened. The name Toros, I’m fine with it. Yeah, no. I think it’s great. I think it’s great,” Mrs. Rodriguez said.