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Hernando Today

No Uniforms For Students, Yet

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By LINNEA BROWN

Hernando Today

Published: July 30, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando County School District's highly-charged "uniform code" won't occur this year, after all.

During an afternoon workshop Tuesday, board members opted to table their decision regarding the district's unified dress policy and take it off the evening's meeting agenda until a later date.

"We're not going to make everybody happy, no matter what we do," board Chairwoman Sandra Nicholson said, referring to the controversy the measure may incite when it reappears.

Board member Pat Fagan, who initially requested that the board delay the vote, said he would like to wait and make the decision earlier in the year so parents can have more time to prepare.

"I think there could have been better buy-in if we hadn't waited until July 29," he said. "School starts within a few weeks, and I appreciate your putting this off for future consideration."

Superintendent Wayne Alexander said he intends to use the time to conduct further research about the correlation between student appearance and performance.

During an April workshop, board members voiced general approval for a proposed districtwide "uniform code" for the 2008-09 school year, which would require students at the majority of the district's schools to adhere to general guidelines such as neutral solid-color pants, shirts or shorts and polo-style shirts.

While some schools already have uniform codes, the move would have marked the first time some of Hernando County's schools implemented specific dress guidelines.

However, for the coming year, Alexander stressed the importance of following the dress policies schools already have in place, particularly decency standards such as wearing pants at one's waist and making sure shorts and skirts cover the top half of one's thighs.

"What you're wearing should not be disruptive," Alexander said. "These standards will be included in whatever changes we make."

The proposals have sparked controversy between parents. Supporters have said a more uniform code would help eliminate distractions and keep the focus on academics, while opponents have voiced concern about cost and inhibiting individualism.

While they intend to revisit the issue for the 2009-10 school year, board members asked that parents remain proactive in their children's clothing choices when school starts in August.

"It begins at home, and I think parents need to be brought in a little more often to help them understand that this is a hardship on the school," Fagan said. "We, and parents, need to take more responsibility."

Board member John Sweeney agreed. "When you go to church, you don't wear a bathing suit," he said. "When you go to school, you have to dress a certain way."

However, Sweeney added that he'd like to see more flexibility between the uniforms that the plan would require at local K-8, elementary and middle schools - which currently vary primarily by color of polo shirt - in terms of being able to switch schools and have the transition be "seamless," he said.

Nicholson said she hopes to see the issue added to the agenda in January so parents have adequate time to prepare, and reminded the public that the guidelines were the result of decisions by individual schools' Student Advisory Council meetings.

"This is not dead. It's just being postponed," she said.

Board members Dianne Bonfield and Jim Malcolm were absent from the workshop.

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

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