Mason says he won’t give up uniform fight

Friday, June 25, 2004 | 9:38 a.m.

Faced with zero support from his Clark County School Board colleagues, Vice President Larry Mason backed away Thursday from his effort to confine a pilot study of mandatory student uniforms to schools in the southeast region.

Mason withdrew his agenda item -- which also asked the School Board to consider making student participation voluntary -- after hearing all the other members speak out against his proposal.

"I can count," Mason said, his wry expression met with polite laughter from the other board members and the audience. "But I'll be back -- and the next time I come back I'm going to eliminate that word 'mandatory.' "

Mason said he doesn't believe uniforms are a cure-all for the district's woes and urged parents to focus their considerable energy on the more direct elements affecting their children's educations.

"Excuse me folks, but get a grip," Mason said. "You say test scores have gone up (at the schools in the pilot study). The uniforms didn't take the test, the kids took the test and they were taught by teachers."

Several of the School Board members expressed concern that limiting the uniform policy to one of the district's five regions would set a negative precedent.

"I would have a problem approving a policy that only applied to some of our kids," said board member Mary Beth Scow. "If it's good enough for some it's good enough for all."

Board member Sheila Moulton said she has already heard from schools in the east region, which she represents, that are interested in joining the pilot study. Schools that garner enough community support should be allowed to adopt the policy, regardless of geography, Moulton said.

The School Board is expected to consider the uniform policy again later this summer as district staff is revising some of the elements, including a requirement that families be surveyed.

Currently, to adopt uniforms, schools must show that at least 51 percent of the surveys were returned with a minimum of 70 percent of families approving the policy. Several board members say they want that requirement raised to 75 percent, for survey returns and affirmative votes.

Last week the School Board approved allowing four southeast region elementary schools to join the five Henderson campuses already in the pilot study.

Several parents of children at those schools told the School Board Thursday the surveys had not been conducted fairly.