Do the clothes make the student?

By Emily Richmond

Wednesday, June 16, 2004 | 9:04 a.m.

Two new regulations aimed at improving the health of students and employees are expected to get final approval Thursday from the Clark County School Board.

If approved by the School Board, the new regulations would take effec with the start of the new academic year in August.

If Clark County School Board Vice President Larry Mason has his way Thursday, a pilot study requiring students at five Henderson elementary schools to wear uniforms may come to an end.

Mason will ask his fellow School Board members to vote in favor of removing the word "mandatory" from the district regulation that allowed schools to adopt the uniform policies two years ago, a move that would essentially dissolve the study.

Also at Thursday's meeting, four additional Henderson elementary schools -- Bennett, Harmon, Hummel and Taylor -- will ask permission to join the pilot study. The request comes two weeks after a split board vote killed a proposal to allow any school in the district to adopt a uniform policy, provided a majority of parents responded to a survey with at least 70 percent showing support.

"I'm not convinced that uniforms have anything to do with how students learn," Mason said following the last School Board vote. "Saying no bandannas or hats or low-cut pants, that I can understand. But we already have a district dress code that says all that without making uniforms something mandatory."

Each of the four elementary schools met the survey requirements, with approval ratings ranging from 74 percent at Hummel to 81 percent at Taylor.

Mike Rolands, assistant principal at Taylor, said participation in the school's voluntary uniform policy has dropped from 85 percent in August to 60 percent with the campus in its final week of classes.

"It's hard to create a consistent school environment without all of your policies following through," Rolands said. "At the start of the year we have a great response, but then it falls off. Parents don't want to fight that battle (over uniforms) at home when it's not backed up by the school's expectations."

Bobi Fuentes, whose two sons attend Taylor, said she has mixed feelings about the proposed policy. Her first grader, Chase, wears the voluntary uniform, while his older brother, fourth grader Trevor, "hates it," Fuentes said.

Supporters of uniform policies say the outfits are economical because students can mix and match pieces without needing complete separate outfits. But Fuentes said most kids like to change out of their uniforms after school.

"I don't think it saves money because you end up buying twice the wardrobe," Fuentes said.

However, Fuentes said, school uniforms would probably improve the overall learning environment and fewer children would be picked on for not keeping up with the latest fashions and fads.

Cathy Sodaro, who has 8-year-old twin girls attending Taylor, said uniforms are cheaper than brand-name clothes. She also didn't believe uniforms interfered with her daughters' freedom to express themselves.

"It definitely doesn't restrict their individuality at all," Sodaro said. "They (her daughters) are totally different."

Board President Susan Brager-Wellman said she voted against turning the pilot study into a district-wide regulation because only schools in the southeast region had expressed an interest in adopting mandatory uniform policies. She encouraged proponents of the policy to look for supporters in other regions or to come back to the board with a proposal limited to southeast schools.

While the School Board hashes out its uniform policy, seven schools in the district's northeast region plan to adopt "school wardrobe" policies for the 2004-05 academic year. "School wardrobe" policies place strict limits on the colors, fabrics and styles of clothing that students may wear.

Following the lead of Liberty High School, which opened last year, two new high schools opening in August will also have "school wardrobes" -- Canyon Springs in the northeast region and Del Sol in the southeast region.

Regulations already exist giving principals the authority to set such requirements without first going to the School Board for approval, said Agustin Orci, deputy superintendent of instruction for the district.

Some parents have expressed concern that they were not given a say in whether or not their children's school would adopt wardrobe policies. Mary McDaniel, whose son will attend the new Findlay Middle School in August, said she's opposed to the proposed "Dress for Success" school wardrobe.

"How can you say this isn't a uniform when you're telling kids exactly what colors and types of clothing they can wear?" McDaniel asked. "There should have been community meetings about this, and parents should have some say. This is still a public school district, isn't it?"

The only difference between a "school wardrobe" and a uniform is semantics, said Gary Peck, executive director of the Nevada ACLU. The district should be focusing on matters directly related to student achievement -- such as test scores and curriculum -- rather than wasting time on unnecessary dress codes, Peck said.