STARKVILLE — A day after the Starkville School District board of trustees voted to implement a dress code for students and staff beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, parents polled at Overstreet Elementary School Tuesday had mixed feelings about the issue.
The new policy, which is still in the planning stages and could designate clothing styles and colors for students and staff at each school in the district, was embraced Tuesday by some parents, but blasted by others.
“It”s a bad idea,” said Bobby Barker, whose son, C.J., attends Overstreet Elementary. “It cuts down on individuality. We”re not trying to send our kids to government-run Nazi schools or anything. I think it”s important for them to be able to express themselves.”
School District Superintendent Judy Couey cited safety concerns in her request to implement a dress code. During the school board”s meeting Monday, Couey said there were two instances in the past year “that indicated a need for uniforms to be able to identify students and faculty.”
Later, Couey said the two incidents involved high school students not enrolled in Starkville public schools who tried to blend in with Starkville students. One tried to get on a bus and another got into a classroom at Starkville High School, then tried to provoke a fight with a student, she said.
But some parents, like Barker, were unfazed when hearing about the school district”s safety concerns.
“I”ll probably send my son to private school,” Barker said. “If he”s going to be in a uniform anyway, I might as well pay for private school. He”d get a better education.”
But Christie Minor, whose daughter, Jayla, also attends Overstreet, was in favor of a dress code.
“I”m glad,” Minor said of the dress code policy. “A lot of times you have children who go to school and they try to compete with what to wear, you know, and they say, ”Well, this person has this on.” And then, if you”re a parent that can”t afford to buy the same kind of nice clothes, your children end up feeling left out. Now, if you”re wearing the same thing, you don”t have to worry about that laughing and getting ridiculed because of what you”re wearing.”
While an official dress code has not been adopted, it is expected to include requirements for students and staff to wear khaki or black pants, polo shirts and other more formal apparel. Requirements could vary by school.
Shondra Hill has three daughters who are students in Starkville schools. Hill, who was at Overstreet Tuesday to pick up her third-grader, Miircal, was against the uniform policy.
“I got three girls and we buy a lot of clothes and it”s not fair for the kids to have to wear uniforms when their parents have to buy the clothes,” Hill said.
Amy Duclos, whose son, Christopher, attends Starkville schools, also was against the dress code.
“That”s twice as many clothes to buy, and the kids aren”t going to wear their uniforms all day long, so you”re also going to have twice the laundry to wash,” Duclos said. “And I know there are a lot of people who are worse off financially … and really will struggle to get the uniforms.”
Keith Webb, on the other hand, said the new policy is “fine by me.” He was at Overstreet to pick up his son, Keith Jr.
“It kind of helps you to not have to worry about having different clothes every day,” Webb said. “It”s just one set uniform.”
Kim Rambus, whose son, Alan Bell, attends Overstreet, said she thinks uniforms are a “great idea.”
“A lot of these parents are struggling, so you”re taking some of the pressure off the parents,” Rambus said. “You know all you”ve got to buy is this uniform: khaki pants and white shirts and everybody going to be OK with that. You don”t have to worry about your kids being sad or that pressure on you when you can”t afford to buy that for your child. So I think it”s a great idea. I think they should have been doing it.”
Amanda Richardson, whose son, Holden Alexander, attends Overstreet, had different feelings.
“I think it”s just awful,” Richardson said. “I think it takes away your individuality.”
April Powers, whose son, Payton, is an SSD student, had no problem with a dress code.
“I”m OK with it as long as it”s reasonable, as long as it”s something that”s not going to cost us more,” Powers said. “We already have to fork out so much for public schools.”
“If it were something simple, like if there was a different color polo option, I think that would be fine,” she added. “But if it”s something you have to order special and all that, I wouldn”t be for it.”
Todd French, whose daughter, Kendall, attends Overstreet, was undecided when asked about his stance on the district”s dress-code plan.
“I”m kind of in favor of it … but I can see how some parents would be a little upset about having to buy several days of clothes and then having to replace them during the year,” French said. “I”ve got mixed emotions. I think from a standpoint of focusing just on the education part, I like that idea, but I”m not so sure I”m real crazy about taking away their individuality.”
“From a parent”s standpoint, it makes my life easier,” French added. “I don”t have to worry about the kids going to pick out the right thing. You know what they”re going to wear the next day. But I don”t know. I tell you what: I”ll be better off after a year making a comment so we can see what it”s been like.”
Judy Powers, who has two children in the school district, also was undecided on school uniforms.
“I don”t mind uniforms and I don”t mind not having uniforms,” she said. “Whatever the school board decides, I support their decision.”
The Columbus Municipal School District implemented uniforms during the 2000-2001 school year in elementary schools, then extended it to middle school students during the following year, said Janet Lewis, CMSD Public Information Officer.
“I think anybody will tell you that (the dress code) certainly has improved discipline and it kind of puts students on an even playing field,” Lewis said. “It”s been very affective.”
Students from kindergarten through sixth grade in West Point public schools are required to wear uniforms, as well as students at West Clay Elementary. Uniforms are not required in Lowndes County schools.
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