District May Require Graduation Gowns

The Oxnard elementary school district may require students to wear caps and gowns for eighth-grade graduation, a change that would alter a decades-old policy.

Trustees of the Oxnard School District are scheduled to vote tonight whether to require the traditional outfits for the annual commencement exercises.

“If we don’t teach our children the values of dressing and respect for social events within our society, we are not teaching them the right thing,” said Trustee Mary Barreto. “When I was in school I was taught how to sit at a table, how to eat and how to dress, and that has paid off. So I think we have a responsibility to do the same for our kids.”

In interviews Wednesday, Trustees Susan Alvarez, James Suter and Dorothie Sterling said changing the policy would save parents money because they would not have to buy their children expensive new outfits for the ceremony. Instead, the district would provide gowns free of charge. Trustee Arthur Lopez was not available for comment.

But some students at Fremont and Frank intermediate schools said they want the freedom to choose what to wear for graduation.

“It’s our graduation, and I think we should be able to dress in whatever way we want,” said Dino Zarate, an eighth-grader at Frank Intermediate School. “And I also think that the gown is just too old-fashioned, too formal. I don’t see what is wrong with the ‘90s baggy clothing.”

If the board approves the policy, students would have to wear the traditional garb as early as the year-round district’s first graduation ceremony in July, said Supt. Bernard Korenstein.

The board also will decide tonight whether to require both caps and gowns, or only gowns, and what color they should be.

The district would buy about 400 gowns in bulk, at a cost of about $11.50 each, and loan them to students for the ceremony.

To keep the price low, Korenstein said, the gowns would all have to be the same color.

The board’s decision to review the policy was prompted by what it characterized as a lack of decorum at recent graduations.

In recent years, female students have worn strapless dresses and other revealing clothing, while males have sported baggy jeans and tennis shoes, Korenstein said.

During a staff meeting at Frank Intermediate, 30 of 31 teachers and administrators agreed that gowns should be required, said Principal Pete Nichols.

“I’m in favor because it would de-escalate the amount of money that parents feel they have to spend or are coerced into spending to dress their kids for graduation,” Nichols said. “What happens is that the kids tell their parents that everybody else will be wearing something fancy, and that it will be embarrassing if they don’t.”

Gloria Urango, president of the Oxnard PTA Council, said although she believes the district should not tell parents how their children should dress, it may be necessary in some cases because many parents do not take the responsibility.

“I oppose most the idea that parents do not know how to send their children appropriately dressed to school,” Urango said. “If we had more parents accountable, the district would not be put on this position.”

But not all students find gowns unattractive.

“I like the idea because it would make us look like college students,” said Chris Veres, a seventh-grade student at Fremont Intermediate. “It would take away the competition among us.”

Nearby Rio Elementary School District requires that students wear gowns at graduation, but not caps. But many Ventura County middle schools that have formal commencement ceremonies do not have such a policy.