Pilot program for school uniforms OK’d

Friday, July 12, 2002 | 9:47 a.m.

Beginning this fall, students at three Henderson elementary schools will be required to wear uniforms as part of a pilot study approved Thursday by the Clark County School Board.

Administrators at Twitchell, Lamping and Vanderburg elementary schools requested permission to conduct the study, which will be reviewed by the School Board six months into the academic year. The schools already have voluntary uniform policies in place.

Supporters of the uniform policy -- including parents, students and teachers -- packed the School Board chambers on Flamingo Road for the public comment portion of the meeting. They extolled the dress code as a way of maintaining discipline and encouraging children to come to school "ready to learn."

Emily Thompson, who just finished third grade at Lamping, told the board uniforms make it less likely that kids will be teased for not wearing the latest trends.

Nancy Heavey, a Lamping parent, said the PTA has set up a store offering school logo shirts at reduced cost, and parents can also trade in gently-used clothing for larger sizes as their children outgrow outfits.

But not everyone was convinced, including School Board members Susan Brager-Wellman and Denise Brodsky, who opposed the pilot study. Both expressed concerns that by making the uniform policy mandatory, children who did not participate would be ostracized.

School Board President Sheila Moulton said she was supporting the proposal because it was a pilot program, not a change in district policy.

"A pilot program is an education," Moulton said. "It's the best way I know of taking a look at uniforms in a controlled setting and seeing what we can really learn."

Stephanie Pocchia, one of the more vocal critics of the uniform proposal, said she was disappointed by the board's vote.

"It's what's inside the child that counts, their attitude and spirit, not their clothing," Pocchia said. "My sons are terrific students, and they do not wear uniforms."

Gary Peck, executive director of the Nevada ACLU, said the survey conducted by school administrators to gauge parental support for the proposal was "fatally flawed." Also, the benefits of school uniforms have never been proved, Peck said.