Sun Valley : School Fine-Tuning Uniform Dress Code

Students returning to Sun Valley Middle School this summer needed more than just new sets of pencils and notebooks--they also needed new wardrobes to comply with the school’s mandatory dress code.

The year-round campus switched to what administrators call a uniform dress code on July 5, joining a growing number of Los Angeles Unified School District schools whose students wear uniforms.

Under the code, Sun Valley’s 2,350 students are required to wear white shirts with collars. Boys must wear blue slacks and girls must wear blue skirts or pants.

Assistant Principal Hobart Cress said that while the children weren’t enthusiastic about the plan, they agreed with their parents that it might make the school safer.

“It makes our kids very identifiable,” Cress said, noting that the neighborhood is often the site of disputes between two rival gangs. In the past, residents and faculty would sometimes have difficulty telling students apart from unwelcome campus visitors.

“The neighborhood is astounded and pleased,” he said of the community’s response to the dress code.

Cress said 648 kids showed up out of uniform the first day but by the end of the week the school had reached nearly 100% compliance. He credits the diligence of administrators and two off-duty teachers--dubbed “fashion police” by the students--who helped notify parents of the new rules.

Since the school year began, Cress said, the school has been fine-tuning the code, focusing on different infractions each week. Untucked shirts and too-short tops are on this week’s list, he said.

Although critics may argue that uniforms rob students of their individuality, Cress counters that there are greater benefits when children are forced to dress alike.

“It takes away prejudice,” he said.