Ann Arbor’s Stone High School may be known as Ann Arbor Technical High School at the beginning of the next school year.

The proposed name change comes from discussions among students and staff at the school on ways to improve the image of Stone to reflect the learning happening there, according to school officials. The name change was proposed at the Ann Arbor school board meeting Wednesday.

Students and staff voted on the name change and selected Ann Arbor Technical High School, also known as A2 Tech High, as the new school name.

“When we look at Stone and the legacy of Stone, perhaps it’s time to put a new name out there and put a new face out there to show who we are,” said Sheila Brown, principal at Stone.

Brown said the alternative high school offers opportunities for students to complete academic credit through online courses — available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This allows students to work and go to school, Brown said.

If the name change is approved by the school board, it will be made for the 2011-12 school year. A community open house would be held to unveil the new name and what it means to current and future students, according to a district statement. Board members are expected to vote on the name change at their next meeting on Feb. 9.

Brown said students have chosen black and gold as the new school colors. After a vote by students and staff, the school’s mascot would be the Knights. Students have until March 4 to submit designs for the new mascot.

Olivia Fisher, a junior at Stone, said the aspect of the name change she was looking forward to the most was the possibility of a new reputation for the school. She said she feels students from other high schools look down on Stone.

“I went to Stone to find a better place for me, and all I had heard about was the bad things about Stone, that it was a place for stoners,” she said. “When I actually got there, all I saw were loving teachers and a loving principal and a lot of technology.”

Brown and other school officials have been making trips to similar alternative schools around the state to garner ideas to bring back to Ann Arbor. Officials believe changing the name will better reflect the various forms of technology used to deliver personalized education.

Brown said Stone School has become a leader among area high schools in credit recovery using technology — using the E2020 system — and houses the Widening Advancement for Youth program’s Washtenaw County Cyber School. Students and staff say that instruction has made integrating technology into education the new identity of the high school, Brown said.

Trustees were enthusiastic about the name change, but took issue with the “technical” portion of the school’s proposed name. Several board members suggested changing the term to “Technology” to accurately represent the work going on at the school.

Trustee Susan Baskett said she was excited about the new name.

“I totally support self-identification and calling yourself what you want to be called,” she said. “I was at a function earlier this evening, and I was able to talk about the name change and people were excited.”

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.