Uniforms are no longer required in the Watson Chapel School District following a unanimous vote at a special board meeting Thursday, the first with Superintendent Keith McGee at the helm.
McGee said the district’s executive leadership team, which consists of central office leadership, building principals and key district leaders, voted during their own meeting Tuesday to recommend the board replace the policy with a dress code. The student handbook committee, which includes principals, district leaders, parents and community members also met to create the dress code.
McGee credited the parents and students with convincing him to change the policy, although he apologized for a lack of communication about the possibility of eliminating the uniform policy
“That night, July 8, the parents and students hit me up,” McGee said, recalling the night he was officially hired as superintendent. “When I went out and met with students who were practicing band, they kind of talked with me about it, and then there was a member of the staff who was talking to me about it. My concern was making sure we were able to make a decision in time so that parents and scholars would know we were eliminating (uniforms). We didn’t take this decision lightly.”
Classes at Watson Chapel begin Aug. 19.
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Some of the rules in the new dress code include:
No clothing or face covering displaying illegal drugs, obscene, lewd or vulgar language, tobacco, alcohol, gang symbols (such as hats, bandanas), or political statements (no Backwoods attire).
Based on religious observations, medical conditions, etc., a parent may apply for full or partial exemptions through the school building principal. For religious reasons, students must provide a letter from a member of the clergy.
Shorts, dresses and skirts must be past fingertip length.
If wearing leggings, the shirt must be mid-thigh length.
All shirts or tops must have sleeves to cover the shoulders for both genders..
No blankets or trench coats.
And identification badges for grades 6-12 are considered part of the dress code and must be worn at all times during the instructional day.
“We had a uniform policy, but it was not uniform,” board President Goldie Whitaker said. “There was no right or wrong answer with khakis. We had different grade-level shirt colors, but they sometimes didn’t all match. They were not all the Oxford button-down shirts, in accordance with what a uniform would be. So, I think this impact will make the children feel like they’re somebody. I think when you wear your own, even with a dress code, you put your red and blue socks together, that makes you feel good because it’s your decision.”
Allowing each student to express individuality is key to developing the whole child, McGee stated.
“The school uniforms, while I understand the why behind it and the pros and cons, I’m for the kid expressing that individuality and who they are. But I’m also making sure that we have a school district that can provide the support to all of our scholars who are in need. So, we’re going to be working on that as well.”
High school Principal Jeffrey Neal said there wasn’t anything in the uniform code that necessarily interfered with the educational process.
“The uniform policy served its purpose, but district leaders felt like at this time, it was time for a change,” he said.
The change means neither of Jefferson County’s three school districts have an active uniform policy. The Pine Bluff School District dropped uniforms last summer.