New Uniforms Stress Unity at Ritchen School

Tank tops and baggy trousers are definitely out.

What’s in at Emilie Ritchen Elementary School in Oxnard these days is khaki pants, white shirts and just about anything in navy blue or forest green.

The 1,100-student school this week became the first school in the Oxnard elementary district to require its students to wear uniforms.

Although the youngsters have a two-month grace period before the code is enforced, nearly 90% of the students came to school Thursday nattily dressed in their uniform best.

“When you wake up in the morning, you don’t have to say, ‘What am I going to wear? What am I going to wear?’ ” said sixth-grader Stephanie Bagu, 11, summing up the prevailing attitude on campus.

Most teachers, students, parents and officials at the school, which runs on a year-round schedule, said they support the new policy, adopted mainly to promote unity among students.

“I haven’t had one student come up to me and say, ‘Do I have to wear my uniform every single day?’ ” Principal Carolyn Banks said.

Parents who oppose student uniforms can obtain waivers for their children, but only 10 have requested exemption, Banks said. Many students said they still have lots of clothes to chose from, including jumpers, shorts, tennis shirts and “skorts”--a combination skirt and shorts. “I think they’re pretty cool, depending on what you get,” Stephanie said.

Students at the kindergarten through sixth-grade school, which is near the upscale neighborhoods of River Ridge and Summerfield, said only a few youngsters used to wear baggy trousers and other clothes often identified as gang attire.

“Some people were wearing Raiders symbols, which is like gangs,” said fifth-grader Jeff Sardo, 10.

Instead, many said homogenizing the dress code takes away some of the fodder for making fun of other students.

“Everybody is wearing the same thing and you can’t be teased,” said sixth-grader Jennifer De Santiago, 10, who was wearing a blue skort and white top.

After a group of parents lobbied school officials for the new policy, administrators decided to require school uniforms beginning this school year.

About half a dozen other schools in Ventura County now have similar policies in place to encourage students to focus more on academics and less on fashion.

The school and parents have held several fund-raisers, raising about $4,000 for families who could have trouble affording clothes required under the policy.

“I really think it helps students get along better,” said Arlene Frietze, whose twin daughters are in the third grade.

Some students, however, said they will miss aspects of the more free-wheeling fashion days. “I like to wear bright colors,” said sixth-grader Alexis Merricks, 10.