Part I
What is being Proposed?

Even those who favor uniform requirements admit that many of the particulars of the proposal are not, as yet, concrete. Some looming questions include whether uniforms are to be administered and controlled federally, or at the state and local levels; whether the requirements will be mandatory or voluntary; and whether students will be able to wear personal supplementary garments in addition to their uniforms. Of course, some these questions are less contentious than others. For example, even though the Department of Education supports their implementation, most agree that school uniforms are a matter to be financed and controlled by states and localities. In other words, a one-size-fits-all national uniform policy controlled by the Department of Education is highly unlikely - if not completely out of the question.

Other issues, however, are more controversial. A case in point is the debate over whether States and/or individual localities should include "opt out" provisions in their policies. Opt out policies allow parents with reservations about uniforms to exclude their children from the requirement. Many, if not most, districts that now have uniform policies on the books also have opt out exemptions, although in some schools - such as South Shore Middle School in Seattle, Washington - opting a child out means having to move him or her to a different school in the district. Some supporters, however, believe the opt-out requirement defeats the purpose of the uniform, for they believe the success of the policy is contingent upon 100% student participation. With regard to speech concerns, Secretary of Education Richard Riley has acknowledged (and most uniform supporters agree) that students may still wear political and religious items - a button for example - so long as such items do not cause classroom interruptions or otherwise undermine the purpose of the uniform. This, he believes, will keep uniform requirements in compliance with both the first amendment to the United States Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (Manual on School Uniforms).

Who will bear the costs?

With regard to financing school uniforms, there are several viable options that districts have either tried or are in the process of trying. Most districts simply make parents pay the costs, with financial assistance going to those families who cannot afford them. Many of these districts rely on financial support from local businesses and community leaders as well. Other districts have found that handing down uniforms from graduating students to those still in school also diminishes the overall cost to poor families. While uniforms can be expensive, supporters are quick to point out that they are usually much cheaper - as much as 80% cheaper--to purchase than the designer jackets and $120 sneakers that parents might be purchasing for their children were uniform requirements not in place (Manual on School Uniforms). Nonetheless, a recent lawsuit filed by the ACLU on behalf of several poor Californian families claiming that the requirements are an unconstitutional financial burden on the poor illustrates that this latter point is somewhat contentious.

Where are school uniforms being implemented?

Ten states, including California, Illinois, and Florida, have enacted school uniform policies. In Oakland and Long Beach, two of California's largest districts, the requirement is mandatory, although parents do have the opt out option. In Illinois' most prominent district, Chicago, the uniform policy - which affects approximately 225 schools - is voluntary for students. In somewhat of a more experimental format, Dade county, Florida mandates uniforms in 46 schools but doesn't require them in the remaining 80. Many large inner city districts such as Baltimore (120 schools, voluntary), Detroit (5 schools, voluntary), and Dayton (17 schools, voluntary) have also adopted uniform requirements within the last five years (Education Commission of the States (5)).

However, while the districts requiring student uniforms continue to increase in number, the majority of the uniform policies now in place affect only elementary and middle schools; Long Beach, California, the first and largest district in the country to mandate uniforms, requires use by elementary and middle school students, but not by high school students. Many supporters, as well as opponents, agree that in order to have a significant impact on overall school violence, the uniform policies will have to encompass high schools in addition to junior high and elementary schools (Manual on School Uniforms; Education Commission of the States).
Government 375: Educational Reform and Ideology