More School Uniform Comments Are Sought
Magnolia School District officials said this week they will want to seek more comment from parents before deciding whether students will be required to wear school uniforms at any of the district’s eight campuses.
Supt. Paul S. Mercier said a recent districtwide survey found strong support for mandatory uniforms, but only about 30% of the parents returned the questionnaire. Officials had hoped that at least 60% would respond.
“We wanted a higher level of response before we went forward,” Mercier said, “so we’d be comfortable that we have good community feedback.”
Mercier said the district may solicit parents’ opinions when campuses have open house later this month.
If a mandatory uniform policy is approved, Mercier said, it would not go into effect until late this year at the earliest. Four of the elementary district’s campuses--Dr. Peter Marshall, Robert M. Pyles, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and Esther L. Walter--have had a voluntary school uniform program for several years.
Mandatory school uniforms were in the national spotlight in February when President Clinton visited a Long Beach Unified school and endorsed that district’s uniform program, the first in the nation for a public school district.
Long Beach officials credit the policy with reducing peer pressure and violence among children and contributing to a 36% decrease in crime among elementary and middle school students.
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