Parents say 'no' to uniforms

By Staff
School board forming committee to examine dress code issue
Leada DeVaney, Hartselle Enquirer
The majority of teachers and parents don't want school uniforms, according to a system-wide survey completed this week.
Out of 548 parents who responded to the dress code survey, 330 said they were opposed to mandatory school uniforms. One-hundred-eighty seven parents voted for uniforms. Thirty-one parents were undecided.
Hartselle's system has 3,067 students.
The majority of teachers and administrators also were opposed to uniforms. One-hundred thirty two voted against uniforms, versus 106 in favor of the change and 39 were undecided.
Board member Kathy Goodwin said she saw the survey as a tool the board could use to make its decision.
"This (the survey) gave me a chance to see what other people, especially teachers, are thinking," Goodwin said. "We're a public system so we have to keep in mind what the majority want."
Board members began examining the uniform idea after a committee examining the dress code said teachers spent too much time dealing with clothing violations. If adopted, the uniform policy would apply to both teachers and students.
Superintendent Dr. Lee Hartsell said he wished more parents had taken part in the survey.
"Before you do something like this, you need the support of the majority of the parents," Superintendent Dr. Lee Hartsell said. "The turnout is not as big as I had hoped for."
Hartselle said the results of the survey are similar to one conducted six or seven years ago.
The school board is forming a committee to examine the survey results and make a recommendation on uniform proposal. The board meets Monday at 6 p.m. at the School Board office, but members said it could be several months before any decisions are made on the uniform issue.