FAQ About School Uniforms (Updated)

Here's some answers to frequently asked questions about school uniforms. (This is an updated version of the original FAQ that was published during the 2007 fight over school uniforms in Flagler schools.)

Q. Do uniforms improve school security?

Proponents of uniforms argue that having kids dressed in uniforms will make it easy to spot someone who doesn’t belong at the school. This is incorrect for several reasons.

1. U.S. courts have ruled that to be constitutional, public school uniform policies must have a parental “opt-out” clause. Children with disabilities may also be excluded from uniform policies to accommodate their needs. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that 100% of the students at any school will be wearing the uniform, effectively erasing the effect of making an intruder immediately visible since there will always be a small percentage of students out of uniform.

2. If uniforms are simply store-bought items in certain colors, they can be easily obtained by anyone who wishes to enter a school, camouflaging them and allowing them to blend into the student body.

3. Even if uniforms are mandated as utilizing specific shirts with embroidered logos, they are still difficult to identify from a distance, still making it easy for someone to blend into a crowd. Also, the use of embroidered shirts negate any arguable cost savings that uniform proponents could claim. (see next question).

4. While it is true that wearing of similar clothing makes keeping groups together on field trips easier, this can be done in much simpler ways than requiring uniforms everyday of the entire school year when kids may take field trips only 2-3 days per school year. For instance, it is currently done at BTES by having the kids purchase class t-shirts for about $10 that they are requested to wear on field trip days and for other special events. Kids who join the class after the t-shirt purchase date are requested to wear a shirt the same color as the purchased shirt on field trip days.

5. Adult intruders are a major source of security concern at schools, particularly at the elementary schools. Unless teachers are also required to wear the uniform, a uniform policy for students does nothing to address that security concern. Even if teachers were required to wear a uniform, the constant stream of volunteers and parents in and out of the schools, not wearing uniforms, means there would always be people in the buildings not wearing uniforms for an intruder to blend in with.

Uniform advocates also claim that student-on-student violence decreases, and gang activity is prevented, when uniforms are required to be worn by students. No credible, conclusive research supports these claims. As researchers at the University of Notre Dame pointed out in their study on the subject of school uniforms, case studies that claim to show successes from implementing uniform policies in schools cannot show a clear cause-effect relationship between the uniform policies and the school improvements. The changes in the schools can almost certainly be credited to other events that took place at the same time the uniforms were implemented, or simply to the attention that was focused on the school’s problems by the implementation of the uniform policy. There is no research to support the idea that the actual wearing of uniforms actually causes an improvement in student behavior or security.

Q. Are uniforms cheaper and easier for parents?

Uniforms are simpler and easier in one way: assuming that your child’s uniform is clean and in their closet in the morning, there can be no arguments about what to wear to school once the child understands that uniforms are the rule. But that one possible advantage is outweighed by several downsides in both hassle and cost.

Cost savings is the most frequent argument put forward to support uniforms. Buying some cheap pants and shirts for kids for school rather than the wardrobes they wear now might sound less expensive but in fact for most families it will increase their wardrobe costs. This would be especially true if embroidered shirts, expensive compared to discount store polo shirts, were required as part of the uniforms, or for kids were hard to fit, requiring slim, tall, or plus sizes. And the costs would be especially huge the first year uniforms were implemented, when every family in town would be starting from scratch with no hand-me-downs or leftovers from the previous year that still fit, and no available used clothes for purchase. It's no coincidence that the local Chamber of Commerce supported implementing uniforms in 2007. They stood to make buckets of money from the measure.

Very few kids are going to want to wear their uniforms after school. This will be especially true for older, more fashion-conscious kids. They will end up needing their uniform wardrobe as well as an after-school wardrobe – two whole wardrobes instead of just one.

In many families, like mine, using clothing as gifts for birthdays and holidays cuts clothes shopping budgets. Outfits or clothes store gift cards are practical gifts that the kids still love to get. Somehow, though, I doubt that most kids would be thrilled to receive school uniforms from Nana for Christmas, or would want to spend their birthday gift card from the Gap on khakis and golf shirts they can wear to school.

Also, don't forget about the laundry problems brought along with uniforms. Uniforms would end up generating twice as much laundry (and thus costs from higher water & electric bills and the need to purchase more detergent) for most families, since most kids would wear two outfits in a day instead of one. Also, if only a very limited set of clothes could be worn to school, there would have to be constant vigilance to ensure that those clothes were clean for wearing. This would mean more frequent laundry quite probably for most households.

Q. Are uniforms easier to enforce than a dress code?

Contrary to popular belief, dress code rules still need to be part of uniform policies. Enforcement of uniform policies is not a black-and-white “either you are wearing the uniform or you are not” decision with no gray area to interpret. Even if it is dictated what color pants and what kind of shirts are to be worn, there still needs to be dress code rules about what constitutes pants that are too tight or too loose, skirts and shorts that are too short, shirts that are see-through or too tight, etc. Uniforms do not remove the need for school staff to police these sorts of gray areas in the uniform policy. It just dictates what colors of shirts and pants they are looking at when they do it, and adds yet another layer of clothing enforcement to rules that are already being policed by school staff. So, it actually makes enforcement more complex instead of less complex, because there are more rules to enforce.

Q. Do uniforms make kids more equal socially?

Uniform supporters like to believe that promoting “sameness” in appearance through uniforms will encourage kids to look past each others’ external appearance and instead at each others’ characters. This is unfortunately not realistic. In fact, uniforms don't prevent social stratification and can actually promote it in some cases.

Even with a strictly mandated uniform, children from families with more money will still be apparent. Their uniforms will be higher quality, not as worn out or stained, and will fit better. Their accessories like shoes, watches, school bags, and haircuts will be more expensive and better maintained. These will still be noticed among the children and a class system by financial status will still be in place.

Judgments being made by looks will still happen, and could even be increased and emphasized by uniforms. Certain kids, who look good in anything, will still look good in uniforms. Kids whose body type or coloring is not suited to the uniform's color or cut will be forced into wearing unflattering clothes everyday with no way to dress themselves in a more flattering way like they could if they had more options. (Think about going into any workplace that requires uniforms and how some people look perfectly fine in the uniform and other people look terrible in it.)

The social scene for most children extends well outside the school doors. Social judging and "classing" will happen in those contacts outside school, and will not simply be left behind the moment everyone walks through the doors in their school uniforms. That is a reality of life for our children that school uniforms cannot change.

Q: Do uniforms prevent gang activity?

A frequent justification for uniforms is that mandating the wearing of uniforms prevents gangs from operating in a school because they cannot display their typical clothing signals. The reality is that gangs adapt and adopt signals that can be used within the dress code: accessories, hand signals, tattoos, etc. If gangs can operate in the highly controlled environment of a prison, a school uniform policy isn't going to slow them down. The only effect of uniforms on gang activity is that the uniforms and use of less obvious signs by the members makes them blend in more to the school's population - making them more difficult for school personnel to spot and monitor.

Q: Do uniforms improve kids' grades?

A major argument for uniforms is that they “enhance the learning environment.” However, there is no credible and conclusive research that supports that argument. Studies at both Notre Dame and Michigan State University both concluded that uniforms did not improve the learning environment.

A Victory For Parents Rights

The Flagler County School Board voted 3-2 tonight to rescind their previous vote to require district students to wear school uniforms beginning with the 2008-2009 school year. The motion was presented by board member Evie Shellenberger, seconded by Peter Palmer. The third vote in support was from board chairwoman Colleen Conklin.

Board members Charles Gambaro and Sue Dickinson were extremely opposed to rescinding the previous action.

The board as a whole expressed their continued belief in the positive effects of uniforms and encouraged Supt. Delbrugge to bring them initiatives from PTO's and SAC's at individual schools that would like to go ahead with uniform plans in their buildings.

This fight is not over but has simply moved to a new jurisdiction. Parents who want to keep uniforms out of their schools will have to continue to be vigilant regarding the actions of the PTO and SAC committees at their childrens' schools.

It was evident from the board's discussion tonight that they continue to have no real concept of the impact that uniforms would have on the real families within this district. I was also extremely disappointed in the statements made by several board members regarding the parent contact that they have received (or not received) on this issue. Ms. Dickinson, in particular, seems to have a serious case of amnesia about events that have transpired and about contacts that she has received from members of the public. Another disappointment throughout this entire process has been the lack of response from the board to attempts to contact them - unless you are a potentially powerful political ally like the chairwoman of the local board of realtors. (My thanks to board member Peter Palmer for being the exception to that rule.)

Is the fight against uniforms almost won?

According to an article in the News-Journal today, the fight against uniforms in Flagler Schools may be almost won. The school board meeting on Tuesday night at 6pm will be an important one, with the divided board having to reach a final decision.

It's Crunch Time!

It's down to the wire on school uniforms!

At the workshop on Monday night, the board debated for hours about what to do about the uniform policy. At their next board meeting, they either must adopt an actual policy or vote to repeal the rule they passed requiring uniforms for the 2008-2009 school year.

Four of the school board members - Sue Dickinson, Colleen Conklin, Evie Shellenberger, and Charles Gambaro - claimed at the meeting Monday that they had not been contacted by any parents that were against school uniforms. Now is the time to change that! Their email addresses are listed in the side of this website - contact them and let your voices be heard. Peter Palmer, who has withdrawn his support for the board's uniform plan because he feels they have not gotten enough public input on it, would I'm sure love to hear from you in support of his thoughtful position as well.

The next board meeting, where this will be up for a final decision, will be on either the 28th or the 29th, in the evening. Currently the school board website lists a meeting on the morning of the 19th and a meeting on the evening of the 20th. The meeting on the 19th is a brief meeting at which not all the board members will be present, to reschedule the meeting from the 20th. When the final meeting date is determined I will post it here!

I will post more updates later about the drafts that the board is currently working with and will have available to them to vote on at the upcoming meeting.

Don't Forget: School Board Meeting Tues. at 6pm!

Don't forget the School Board meeting scheduled for 6pm tomorrow night (Tuesday the 16th) at the Government Services building in Bunnell. Agenda Item 8.04 is "Uniforms" so please be there to comment on uniforms for ESE students especially if you want the board to hear your opinion on this matter. The correct time to make this statement will be when the board asks near the beginning of the meeting for public comment on agenda items, since uniforms are on the agenda.

The Promise

A clip from the end of Supt. Delbrugge's presentation at the July 11th town hall meeting in which he describes the plans to get parent input at all the schools, plus to hold "two or three" additional town hall meetings. (To my knowledge they have not held even one town hall meeting, unless you count the workshop on Monday which was not centered on getting public input.)

Empty Promises

Board Member Evie Shellenberger's comments at the July 11th town meeting, where she refers to the board's promise to get input from parents on the uniform code's design and responds to my earlier comments with a verbal head pat that the board will "take care of" the ESE students. Why do I have a hard time believing they know what is best for my child based on their recent track record?

Broken Promises

Once again the issue of impending school uniforms for Flagler Schools was in the News-Journal yesterday. And once again, the story told by the newspaper is of the school board breaking promises to parents about getting input from them regarding what the uniform code will be.

First, the school board scheduled a town hall meeting to get public input on whether there should be uniforms in Flagler Schools - and then went ahead and voted on the matter anyway before the meeting, denying parents their right to have input on the issue. Then they promised at that July 11th town hall meeting that before the uniform code itself was written, they would "take the show on the road" to each of the district's schools to solicit input from parents, students and teachers on the content of the actual uniform.

To my knowledge no single member of the school board has shown up at my daughter's elementary school to ask for input on the issue, and neither has the board held a public meeting at the school for parents to attend to discuss the issue. And yet somehow on Monday night the board felt it was time to write the uniform code in preparation for the first of two procedural votes on it to take place at the November board meeting. Apparently the board has once again developed group amnesia about the promises they made to get parent, teacher and student input at each of the schools.

I guess I am not really surprised. Our elected school board seems to have forgotten who they work for, and who they should answer to. They are behaving like dictators, making the rules up as they go along and changing them whenever they want.

The only recourse that we have is at the ballot box in Nov. 2008. I suggest everyone who is upset with them over the way they have treated parents regarding this issue let the school board members know that they plan to express their displeasure the next time the board members come up for election. Perhaps the threat of losing the power they seem to enjoy wielding so much would remind them who they work for.

Lies and Statistics

The Daytona Beach News-Journal ran a story this morning about how much Flagler County parents spend on average per child for back-to-school clothes. This of course included a discussion about the upcoming school uniform policy.

The problem with the article (and the numbers that it contains) is that those numbers are just statistics. No reasoning is given behind those numbers. Why are Flagler parents spending an average of $361 per child per year on clothes, more than almost any other district in the study? It is not like Palm Coast has designer stores on every corner to supply us with the latest designer fashions. We have Walmart and Beall's.

What the statistics don't tell us is how much of that number was discretionary spending and how much of that number was mandatory spending by the families. How much of that money was money that had to be spent and how much of it was money that was spent because someone wanted to?

The study noted that the top geographic areas for clothing spending all shared a common demographic of having high concentrations of seniors. This might account for some of the amount of clothing expenditure being given by doting grandparents as gifts. I know in our family that is certainly the case.

How much of that amount was simply spent because the parents could afford to spend more? That's up to those parents to decide what they want to spend. That is why it is called discretionary spending. People can use their discretion to make their own decisions.

How much of that amount was spent because parents refused to stand up to their kids and draw a line about what was appropriate spending on the child's wardrobe for the family's financial situation and the child's age? That is a more problematic question and possibly at the root of some parents' support for the school uniform policy. Are some parents, unwilling to draw a line of their own with their kids about what they will spend on clothing, looking instead to the school system to do it in the form of a uniform policy? If so, that is sad. Kids need to be taught responsibility by their parents, not see that responsibility abdicated to a school administration. That doesn't teach them anything except how to avoid standing up to kids for their own good.

Schools are here to educate our children. We expect stellar FCAT scores from our schools while also expecting them to take on more and more responsibility for teaching things like responsibility. They can't do it all. They shouldn't have to.

We should do our jobs as parents and teach our children responsibility at home, and leave the schools to educate our kids about math, science and reading. That's their job - not teaching a child what is appropriate to wear to school.

Should droopy pants be outlawed?

No, I don't mean disallowed at schools. I mean made illegal, with fines for wearing them.

An Atlanta councilman thinks so, and his comments have spurred quite a debate there.

Outlaw Droopy Pants in Atlanta?

This debate is very interesting in light of the Flagler Co. School Board's constant referral to the droopy pants of male students as one of the reasons that they want to institute a uniform code for the 2008-2009 school year.

Is opposition to droopy pants simply a generational gap? Is it racist? Is showing off part of your underwear freedom of speech?

Answers to those questions are very relevant to the uniform debate.

Asserting Parental Rights

Courtesy of AOL News, comes a very interesting article talking about the state of the school uniform debate in this country: Ironing Out Policies On School Uniforms

The article mentions the Texas-based group APROD (Asserting Parental Rights - It's Our Duty). On their website, APROD has some great information about uniform research under the headings Important Links and Uniform Myths.

Thoughts on school uniforms after the 7/24 meeting

It took me awhile to put my thoughts together on this issue after the July 24th meeting of the Flagler School Board that I attended. I believe that this matter really goes so much deeper than just what our kid wear, into how our schools are being run and why they are being run the way that they are.

At this point it is becoming increasingly obvious to me that this move towards uniforms is about politics, and nothing more than that. I feel like my child is being used as a pawn in the economics and politics of Flagler County and there is nothing I can do about it unless I want to sue the school board. There are no recall or ballot procedures for school board members or school board issues. These people are dictators once they are elected - and they are making full use of that power to do whatever they want regardless of what the residents of this district, and the parents of this district, want.

Consider the following information and see what conclusion you reach.

The school board had, at the urging of board member Evie Shellenberger, been investigating implementing uniforms in the district for some time. A "town hall" meeting had been scheduled for July 11th to hear public opinion on the desirability of a uniform policy. The board had scheduled a final vote on implementing a policy for its July 24th meeting, after the town hall meeting.

On June 29th, the Florida School Accountability Grades were released by the Florida Department of Education, grading several Flagler schools poorly, including a "C" for Matanzas High School and a "D" grade for Flagler-Palm Coast High School.

The evening of June 29th, at their regularly scheduled meeting, the Flagler School Board suddenly changed the publicly announced schedule for the uniform process and voted to implement uniforms for the 2008-2009 school year and to change to purpose of the July 11th town hall meeting to be to get input on what the actual uniforms should be. This vote took place despite the fact that a newly appointed member of the board was being sworn in that night, effectively leaving 20% of the school district without a representative during that vote.

Newspaper stories from the Flagler education beat the following day focused on the uniform issue, not on the abysmal Florida School Accountability grades received by the two high schools in the district.

At the town hall meeting the school board touted the endorsement of their uniform plan by the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce.

No one I have talked to has any knowledge that the teacher's union (who presumably are more relevant to this issue than the Chamber of Commerce?) has been even consulted about uniforms, let alone endorsed the policy - including a teacher who is a building rep. for the union.

After the members of the public spoke at the town hall meeting, more than half of them against uniforms, the response they received was a very dour attitude of "well, the decision is already made, too bad."

Members of the school board have repeatedly pointed to the examples of other districts in the implementing of uniforms.

When it was pointed out to the board on July 24th by the ACLU that the examples of methods that other districts have used to implement uniform policies include parent polling on the issue, all but one board member chose to ignore that statement completely. The only board member who responded to that fact was Ms. Shellenberger, who has been the most ardent supporter of uniforms, and even she dismissed those examples by saying that it wasn't practical because she felt the whole district would have to be polled because "all residents are taxpayers and have a stake in our schools."

To me, that quote from Ms. Shellenberger sums up what this is all about. This uniform effort is not about a genuine effort to make our schools better. It is about propping up property values in this town by making the schools look better than they are, and about attracting business by making the schools look better than they are. It is about using uniforms to whitewash over our growing gang problem. That is why the Chamber of Commerce cares about uniforms, because this policy is about economic growth, not about educational quality. This is about jobs, not about students.

Taxpayers have a right to voice their opinion on school matters that they will pay for. Everyone in this community does not have a right to voice an opinion on whether my child should have to wear a uniform every day, unless they are going to shop for and pay for those uniforms, do battle with my child everyday to enforce the wearing of them, and do the resulting extra laundry from them. That affects my family, not the retired lady next door, or the single guys down the street. Since I will be the one that has to live with it, I should get a say in it. And only me.

It's really easy to have an opinion on something when you don't have to live with the consequences. Let the parents decide. They are the ones that have to live with it.

Board Member Shellenberger's response to parent survey proposal

Flagler School Board member Evie Shellenberger, who has lead the charge for some time to put uniforms on Flagler Schools students, chose to respond to the proposal for a parent survey by completely ignoring the actual argument for one: the importance of parent cooperation in implementing a uniform program.

My Statement in Support of the Parent Survey on Uniforms

My statement to the board on July 24th addressed some of my concerns regarding uniforms and the needs of ESE students, as well as seconding the ACLU proposal of following in the footsteps of other districts and utilizing a parent survey to decide the issue.

ACLU Statement at July 24th School Board Meeting

George Griffin, president of the Volusia/Flagler ACLU chapter, proposed at the July 24th Flagler County School Board meeting that the board should hold a parent survey on the implementation of a uniform policy the way most other districts in Florida have done.

Reminder: School Board Meeting Tomorrow Night!

Don't forget that there is a school board meeting tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 6pm at the Government Services Building in Bunnell.

We'd like to get everyone who can come to show up to show their support to the school board for having a parent vote on the implementation of uniforms. This vote will protect both the parents who are for and against uniforms. It will protect the rights of parents who are against uniforms from being railroaded by a flawed school board process from not having their opinions heard. And it will protect parents who are pro-uniforms from investing in that process and then possibly discovering that too many parents are not complying with the policy, making the uniforms pointless.

The board keeps pointing to the fact that so many other Florida districts have uniforms as a reason for Flagler to have them. So why aren't they following the same process as those districts?

Please show up to ask the board to let the parents make the decision, which is how this issue has been handled in most other Florida school districts!

News-Journal Editorial Gives Thumbs Down to Uniforms

A great (if a bit dense) editorial today in the News-Journal explains exactly why uniforms are not the solution to what ails our schools:

No, Meaningless Frock

Some extremely relevant points made by Mr. Tristam in the editorial include:

"With next year's election season approaching, the board needed an artificial issue to make it look decisive. Uniforms are it."

"Masking society's inequalities and prejudices by donning a uniform, instead of confronting them head on, teaches children deception and evasion as much as it may give them a break from feeling superior or inferior. It's trading one vice for another."

"My objection to uniforms isn't that they're irrelevant, but that they give schools an added presumption of authority and regimentation that schools aren't entitled to, and pupils don't deserve -- legal and academic fad in favor of treating pupils like wards of their schools notwithstanding..."

I highly recommend a read-through of the piece. It's a very interesting trip through an alternative viewpoint for those who are pro-uniforms.

What do uniforms really cost?

A lot of parent opinion centers around whether or not uniforms are cheaper for families.

There has been one study on the subject that I have been able to locate:

The effect of uniforms on nonuniform apparel expenditures.

Norum, Pamela S., Robert O. Weagley, and Marjorie J.T. Norton. "The effect of uniforms on nonuniform apparel expenditures." Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal 26.n3 (March 1998): 259(22). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Flagler County Public Library. 13 July 2007

Abstract:

The effects of uniform expenses on household expenditures for some nonuniform apparel subcategories based on an economic model of conditional demand were investigated. Expenditures formulas were derived from the 1990-1991 Consumer Expenditure Survey. Findings indicated that consumers do not replace their nonuniform purchases with uniform expenses. Instead, uniforms are considered as complementary purchases, thereby, leading to increased clothing expenditures.

Thomson Gale Document Number:A20584197

The full study can be read in full from your home computer on the Library's InfoTrac database if you have the password (just ask the reference librarian for it).

Note this critical part of the abstract: Findings indicated that consumers do not replace their nonuniform purchases with uniform expenses. Instead, uniforms are considered as complementary purchases, thereby, leading to increased clothing expenditures. According to the results of this study, the actual purchase price of uniforms compared to regular clothes is irrelevant to the argument about whether school uniforms are more expensive. Since families purchase them in addition to, and not instead of, their usual clothing purchases, uniforms are more expensive for families no matter how much or how little is spent on them.

Even if you are a parent who is convinced that you will be able to replace other clothes purchases with uniforms, what do uniforms actually cost? The answer varies widely. Very young students may be more prone to spilling on their clothes, requiring more frequent laundering or even replacing of outfits due to stains. The oldest students will require frequent laundering due to body odor. Then there are variables such as how fast a child is growing, and a major variable in cost: how hard to fit a child is.

Walmart and Target are being widely touted as sources of affordable school uniforms. That may be true - if your child is of average size. If you can walk into a store and pull anything off of the rack and it will fit your child, then you will likely have no problem finding plenty of inexpensive uniform options for your student.

If, on the other hand, your child is hard to fit and requires slim or husky sizes? Well, you may be out of luck on the affordability of uniforms - especially if your child is a girl.

Walmart offers slim and husky sizes in boys, but only plus in girls. No slim sizes.

Target offers plus sizes but no slims in either boys or girls.

Bealls offers a few husky sizes in boys items. Not sure about plus sizes for the girls.

Old Navy: A good selection of plus and slim sizes is available for both boys and girls but a pair of basic uniform pants start at $17.50 per pair (compared to pants that start at $11.88 at Walmart).

JC Penney: A full range of sizes is offered but pants start at $19.99 for girls and $26 for boys.

Sears: Pants start at $20 for girls and $24 for boys and only plus/husky sizes are offered.

Gap: Again, a good selection of complete size ranges is available but a basic pair of uniform pants starts at $29.50.

Lands End: Their selection of uniform pants available in a complete size range starts at $29.99.

Uniforms would definitely be more expensive for my family since my daughter is very slim and hard-to fit. I can currently buy two very nice complete knit outfits or dresses at Target that will fit her for school for what it would cost to put her in one pair of uniform pants from Old Navy that would hopefully fit her and be long enough and still stay up. Buying uniform outfits would be a significant cost increase for us. I'm sure there are other families facing the same situation because of hard-to-fit children.

Also we shouldn't forget that other help to the clothing budget: gifts that do double-duty as school clothes. Our 7 year-old niece (who lives in Michigan) loves to shop. So for her last couple of gifts from us (birthday and christmas) she has received Target gift cards that she could spend on clothing with the supervision of her mother. Our niece has fun shopping, and she gets some new school clothes to put in her closet without her parents spending anything. Somehow, I think the fun would go out of that gift for our niece if she had to pick out uniform clothes, and the added benefit would be lost to her parents if she picked out regular clothes and they still had to buy her uniforms.

In addition to gift cards, actual clothing gifts can expand school wardrobes. They certainly do in our family with two grandmas that love to shop for their granddaughter. But opening a box of khaki pants and white shirts on your birthday somehow just isn't that exciting for a little kid...or as exciting for a grandparent to give.

Give a thought to all of these things before you decide what uniforms will really cost your family and other families.

ACLU Comments at Town Hall Meeting

George Griffin, President of the Volusia/Flagler Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, commented on the uniforms issue at the town hall meeting on July 11th and the constitutional issues related to such policies.

I was the parent that contacted him about my concerns regarding the lack of proper process in the board's consideration of this matter and also whether or not they would include a constitutionally required opt-out policy.

Board Member Sue Dickinson's Comments At The Town Hall Meeting

Sue Dickinson essentially tells parents expressing their opinions against uniforms in Flagler Schools that she doesn't care what parents think, that the board will go ahead with what it wants regardless of parent opinion.