On Jan. 10, a delegation of a dozen Flagler County school officials, including two board members and the superintendent, traveled to Osceola County public schools to see for themselves what a school district with a uniform policy looks like. Osceola schools adopted uniforms in 2008. What they found was that the word “uniform” can be interpreted in many different ways. So can enforcement. (Read the full story here.)
The Osceola policy is actually a dress code, and a rather lenient one at that: students are required to wear collared shirts and abide by four specified colors. They’re required to wear either khakis or jeans. Beyond that, it’s all up to them, including socks, shoe-ware, outerwear, underwear, belts, jewelry, hoodies and other accessories. The students take full advantage. Enforcement can be lax: in high school, few students bother tucking their shirt in.
The Flagler County School Board will vote on whether to adopt a uniform policy for the district when it meets next on Jan. 17. The trip to Osceola is likely to play a big role in defining the discussion and the ensuing make-up of the policy, should the board approve it.
The following is an image gallery shot during Tuesday’s visits to Celebration School, a K-8 school, and Celebration High School. For best results, click on the actual image rather than the slideshow option.
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Justin says
Omg no to school unifoms,but they can’t be serious right?
Eileen Curran via Facebook says
No boxers hanging out? OMG!
palmcoaster says
Just concentrate on teaching our students and don’t mess up with their attire as long as sticks to the code.
Thank you Flagler Live for documenting reality.
DP says
So once again our lustrous school board spent more money to visit Osceola county schools to see what their buddy Jay Wheeler was promoting as the Best Uniform policy in the state. It looks no different then what are our Kids are wearing now. School board members listen real well, I’m a Citizen of Flagler, A Parent of a student, A Tax Payer, and more importantly “A VOTER WITH A LOUD MOUTH” WE DON’T “NEED A UNIFORM POLICY” Enforce the current policy in place, and if your school administrators won’t or can’t then fire them and find somebody that will. Election year is coming soon for most of you on the board you can and will be replaced. Stop the “unfunded mandates” on an already financially depressed Parent and families. Mrs. Conklin isn’t this same thing you wanted to sue the State of Florida this past year over “unfunded mandates”? Please explain the difference. VOTE “NO” FOR UNIFORM POLICY.
Vincent Ciolino via Facebook says
From what I see today…this is a huge improvement
dontbesoparanoid says
I don’t think a uniform policy is needed. A dress code would be sufficient and the school should already have that. Just tweak and enforce it.
BeTheAdult says
Let’s enforce the policy we have in place instead of avoiding a confrontation with the student’s parents. In my experience at MHS, administration bows to the loud and mouthy parents instead of enforcing the rules.
Helene says
Sorry these pictures bust the pro-uniform bubble! These kids look like just like the ones I see in Flagler County Schools. Really? – This is a uniform? As many others have posted, just enforce the dress code we have now: i.e., pull up your pants and keep your bra straps and underware UNDER your clothes. “It is just that easy and just that hard”!
Nancy Nally says
Every single “improvement” that I see in those pictures could be accomplished by simply enforcing the dress code that is currently in place in this district. In fact, some of those things in those pictures – tight jeans, short skirts and even shorter shorts that I saw, for one – actually VIOLATE the dress code currently in place in this district – proving that a so-called uniform policy does not eliminate the issues that people are screaming about now.
Seriously, you want to put us through all this hassle, expense and crap – FOR THAT? That’s your shining example of massive change? GET REAL SCHOOL BOARD! The level of effort, expense and hassle that you are asking from everyone in this school district is in no way worth that. I can’t even tell the difference between those kids and the ones at my daughter’s school!
Nancy Nally says
Three of the major arguments for uniforms
1) That schools are more secure because intruders stand out from the crowd
2) That dress code violations disappear when uniforms are implemented
and 3) That class distinctions disappear with uniforms
are all totally thrown in the trash by those pictures.
So all we are really left with is the “combatting gangs” argument and the “they improve grades” argument. We don’t have a gang problem in Flagler, and even in uniform-cheerleading Osceola they hedge on the question of whether they help with grades at all.
Umm, WHY are we supposed to be doing this again?
dude says
huh in 2008! lol
i had to wear a uniform from kindergarten to 12 grade
2010 2021