MPS students get look at new school uniforms
Hundreds of parents and students went shopping for school clothes Saturday — not at the mall, but at a school-uniform fair sponsored by Milwaukee Public Schools.
The fair, at South Division High School, was aimed at giving many MPS students their first look at the pants, skirts and shirts they’ll be wearing beginning this fall under the district’s new school uniform policy.
Some of the colors: Black, tan, red and navy blue.
Casual is OK, but school officials want students to keep it neat and modest.
“Shirts must be tucked in unless they are made to be worn over pants or skirts,” the policy says. “Pants must fit at the waist and may not be oversized or undersized.”
All but seven of the district’s more than 150 schools are covered by the new policy.
Those in favor of school uniforms say it reduces peer pressure to buy expensive name-brand clothing. It lets students focus more on learning than outward appearances, and there are fewer parent/ child arguments about what to buy and wear.
“I see children all the time whose parents can’t afford the expensive clothes,” said Patricia Hopson, who works at Benjamin Franklin School.
The uniforms foster school pride and a sense of belonging, said Matthew Boswell, senior director of the Department of Student Services at MPS.
They’re affordable, too, with a pair of khaki pants and a polo shirt selling for about $18, according to vendors at the uniform fair.
Those against a school-uniform policy say it infringes upon the rights of students to express their individuality through what they wear.
Under the MPS policy: “All clothing must be plain without any brand names, insignia, manufacturer’s logos or pictures visible.”
Exemptions to the policy are allowed at most schools, but not all of them, according to a tip sheet handed out to families.
“Families may choose not to have their children wear uniforms by filling out a form in the school office,” the sheet says.
Some students say they like the idea that uniforms could reduce bullying and teasing over something as superficial as clothing. Still, some say they would like a bit more freedom to express themselves through what they wear.
“On Fridays, I think we should be able to wear our regular clothes,” said Rayawn Hendriex, a ninthgrader at Bay View High School.
The rest of the week: “I have no problem with the uniform,” he said.
At Saturday’s event, vendors emphasized that unique colors are permitted by individual schools, in addition to the black and blue district-wide colors.
Shirts can be ordered with embroidered school logos, and there are different styles of clothing to choose from.
“There are a lot of ways to mix it up with colors and styles,” said Dave Wiegmann, regional sales manager for French Toast, one of the vendors approved by MPS.