Elementary School to Require Uniforms
No more jeans and T-shirts for students at Viejo Elementary School. Starting in September, uniforms will be the required attire on campus.
The school will become the first in Capistrano Unified School District with a mandatory uniform policy. There is an optional uniform policy at four other district elementary schools.
“We are very enthusiastic,” Principal Pat Griggs said of the uniforms. “I think it’s going to be a success.”
The school’s PTA expressed interest in a mandatory uniform policy last spring. Parents cited studies showing that mandatory uniform policies help reduce violence and discipline problems on campus, lower clothing costs and focus children on the task of learning, not fashion.
Before adopting the policy, school officials surveyed parents and held elections on the issue, finding overwhelming support.
Parents who object to the mandatory uniforms can enroll their children at another school, Griggs said. Only about a dozen parents have said they will seek transfers for their children, the principal said. The school has 700 students.
--By KIMBERLY BROWER and JENNIFER LEUER
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
