AMERICAN FORK -- What's in a name?
To Andrea Forsythe, altering the name of a proposed school-uniform policy may mean the difference in how parents and students react to dress codes that favor khaki pants and golf shirts over Tommy Hilfiger jeans and T-shirts.Forsythe, a member of Alpine School District's Board of Education, isn't sold on using the words "school uniforms" when naming proposed policy No. 5133, which outlines the process principals would follow if parents petition to enact a school-uniform policy.
Instead, Forsythe, taking a suggestion from Manila Elementary Principal Stan Butler, whose students started wearing school uniforms in 1998, thinks the regulations should be named "Enhanced Dress Code."
"I think one of the scary things for our patrons is the terminology, 'school uniforms,' " she said.
When the two words are uttered in board meetings and school hallways, she said, parents and students imagine rows of students dressed exactly alike in white shirts, drab blue sweaters, starched slacks and pleated skirts.
By creating the policy, Alpine's board isn't suggesting to schools that they (the board) endorse school uniforms, said Superintendent Steven C. Baugh.
Following a new state law, the board is creating the policy to streamline the procedures schools must follow if a proposal for uniforms is made, said JoDee Sundberg, a board member.
For example, according to the proposed rule, before schools can vote to adopt uniforms, 20 percent of the parents in the school must sign a petition in favor of the dress code, three parent information meetings must be held, and parents must be informed in writing of the dress code changes and uniform styles.
A majority vote would enact uniform policies, but students can "opt out" with a written note from parents within 10 days of the start of school, reads the policy.
Manila is the sole Alpine school -- and one of just a handful across the Wasatch Front -- to have a school-uniform policy.
The board will vote on the policy in an upcoming meeting.
Although the trend toward requiring school uniforms has been slow to catch on in Utah, schools nationwide are adopting dress codes in an effort to focus on academics, discourage disruptive behavior and eliminate cliques.
This week Philadelphia became the first big-city public school district to adopt a citywide uniform policy. Each school in the 217,000-student district can decide how the students should dress, however.
A study by the National Association of Elementary School Principals in 1998 found that 52 percent of principals requiring uniforms reported a boost in student performance.
You can reach Jeffrey P. Haney by e-mail at jeffh@desnews.com