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Following a districtwide survey that was disseminated to district families and the PTA last fall, the Board of Education unanimously approved the new policy at their latest public meeting.
Of the 1,000 responses to the survey, 80 percent approved the measure.
The new policy will “allow schools in the district to mandate students wear uniforms if they present certification to the Board,” which includes the approval of at least 80 percent of parents from that school.
According to the new policy, “the intent is not to inhibit or prohibit any student who is not in uniform from receiving the education to which he or she is entitled. Therefore, no student will be subjected to disciplinary actions for not complying with the policy."
Students will have input on potential uniform selection and there will be uniform waivers for health or religious reasons. Due to the expected potential cost of the uniforms, the district has vowed to offer assistance in purchasing them to benefit families struggling financially.
Pennington, Columbus and Hamilton Schools are expected to be the first to adopt the policy, based on previous support from when the survey was launched.
“We want to provide the schools in this district who wish to adopt uniforms with the ability to do so,” Mount Vernon School Board President Adriane Saunders said. “Schools that adopt uniform policies show increases in student focus in the classroom and decreases in behavioral issues.”
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