Class Clothes

An odd feeling struck Pacific Drive Elementary students Tuesday when school doors opened for the new academic year.

The campus was swarming with children dressed in navy blue and white, and none of the first-grade classrooms had more than 19 students.

“It was weird coming to school today,” 11-year-old Eric Ramirez said. “Everyone looked the same.”

Pacific Drive Elementary was among schools in four Orange County districts where classes resumed Tuesday. Most of the county’s remaining 27 school districts will begin sessions throughout the week.

Under a school policy adopted earlier this year, Pacific Drive students were the only ones in the Fullerton School District required to wear uniforms. Another school in the district has started a voluntary uniform program.

Several other school districts, such as Tustin Unified, are also enforcing such dress regulations.

“It’s a preventive measure,” said Pacific Drive Principal Linda Moser. “Although uniform policies originally were created to address the gang issue, and we don’t have a gang problem at our school, we did it to build a sense of equality.”

Pacific Drive administrators adopted the uniform policy after a majority of parents surveyed two years ago indicated that they favored some kind of dress policy.

“I think it makes a school appear more prestigious,” said Joyce Cajudo, a 31-year-old mother of two.

She said uniforms de-emphasize a student’s financial background.

Cajudo added that the dress policy has allowed her to save money and time by relying on uniforms rather than trying to keep up with fashion trends. “We didn’t have to spend a week shopping for back-to-school clothes,” Cajudo said. “They were only picky about what kinds of shoes to wear.”

Uniforms cost from $14 to $40.

But the uniform policy has its critics.

Among parents of Pacific Drive’s estimated 770 students, all but five agreed to the policy. The dissenters’ reasons included the right of children to express themselves through their clothes. One said the uniforms weren’t flattering to her daughter; another said she gave in to her child’s disapproval of the dress code.

The students were more divided on the issue than their parents.

At lunchtime, a shouting match broke out at a table of sixth-graders.

“It kind of stinks,” blurted Sandra Cascia 11. “This is our last year at this school and we had to go out and buy uniforms. It was expensive.”

Another student argued for her individual rights.

“We don’t get to have our own style,” said Ashley Boyer, also 11.

But soft-spoken Alison Koellich supported the dress code, saying that “school’s not the place to show off. We’re here to learn.”

Despite the debates over the uniform policy, Principal Moser said the school year kicked off with few problems.

“For a first day, this was a fairly smooth day, amazingly, considering all the things happening this year,” Moser said, sighing in relief.

Along with the uniform policy, Pacific Drive Elementary implemented a program that limits some of its classes to 20 students in order to qualify for part of $770 million to be paid by the state to schools that reduce class sizes.

Some of the school’s first-grade classes were slashed to 15 students.

“I never had it this good,” said first-grade teacher Dori Skaggs. With only 18 pupils in her class, she added, she will be able to cover twice as much as in previous years.

The Fullerton Joint Union, La Habra City and Anaheim City school districts also began fall classes Tuesday.