School uniform debate continues

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT BEACH -- Two elementary schools ended their respective debates on

uniform policies this week, leaving only Newport Elementary School

struggling with the issue.

Children attending Mariners Elementary School will continue to dress in

Quiksilver and Volcom, while students will be in uniform dress when they

head to Newport Coast Elementary School, scheduled to open this fall.

“I guess the timing wasn’t right,” said Chris Wilkinson, Mariners PTA

president. “We did the survey based on parent interest. When the facts

were all in, they decided in their own households that it wasn’t right.

Maybe in the future ...”

Of the 453 families at Mariners that received ballots, 314 cast their

vote. Of the returned ballots, 179 voted in favor of uniforms and 135

voted against.

“It was recommended by the district office that we would need 70%

affirmation to pass the dress code,” said Mariners Principal Mary Ann

Ehrt.

In order to reach 70% approval, 219 ‘yes’ votes were needed, she said.

Meanwhile, the parents gearing up for the opening of Newport Coast played

by different rules.

“A lot of the schools in the district wanted 70 or 80% of parents to

respond, but it’s hard for us because we don’t have a historical

database,” said Dana Schonwit, vice president of the Newport Coast PTA.

Because they do not have an established student body and parents to poll,

Newport Coast PTA members worked with the district to reach as many

incoming families as they could. Through the district offices, 277

Newport Coast families received ballots with three dress options.

The first option was what the Newport-Mesa Unified School District calls

“free dress” -- children can wear what they want as long as it follows

school guidelines for appropriate dress.

The second option was the Eastbluff Elementary School model of

color-coded dress. The third was a style- and color-specific uniform

policy -- the real deal.

Of the 171 returned ballots, an overwhelming 109 parents voted for the

third option -- the full-fledged uniform.

While 27 people chose the color-coded model, only 35 voted for free

dress, bringing the total number of votes for a uniform of some kind to

136 -- nearly 80%.

“We wanted to get as many people involved as possible,” Schonwit said.

“We got 62% [returned ballots] and that’s really high.”

The Newport Coast PTA will now narrow down potential uniform companies

and let parents vote on color and materials from a wide range of styles.

That leaves Newport Elementary School parents actively weighing the pros

and cons of putting their children in matching Hawaiian shirts -- floral

prints are part of a uniform proposal for that campus.

Newport Elementary Principal Denise Knutsen said parents can voice their

opinions, discuss ideas and watch a fashion show at Wednesday’s forum,

which begins at 7 p.m.

FYI

Results of uniform policy votes:

* Newport Coast Elementary School

Ballots mailed: 277

Ballots returned: 171

Votes for free dress: 35

Votes for color-coded dress: 27

Votes for uniforms: 109

* Mariners Elementary School

Ballots mailed: 453

Ballots returned: 314

Yes on uniforms: 179

No on uniforms: 135