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School uniforms widely applauded

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W. Curt Vincent

Sept. 30--Since the first day of school back on Aug. 27, the 1,585 students at the four middle schools in Bladen County have had at least one early morning decision made for them: what they should wear to class.

The Bladen County Board of Education, in June, approved a school uniform policy for its middle schools and said it will look at expanding into the elementary, primary and high schools down the road.

The spark for a move to school uniforms came from Clarkton School of Discovery, when its administration requested it be allowed to adopt a school uniform policy.

"Clarkton School of Discovery is very proud of the fact that we can look back and say the Blue Devils led the way," said Principal Stephanie Ensminger.

And since the policy went into effect, Ensminger said it's been a "huge success" at the school.

"One hundred percent of the Clarkton School of Discovery student body came dressed in school uniforms on the very first day of school and this trend has not changed," she said. "It is evident here at our school that dressing for the job directly impacts the way we act. Students are taking tasks seriously and are more determined to meet the expectations set for them."

The school uniform policy basically puts students at each middle school in their school colors: navy and gold at Bladenboro Middle; Duke blue and grey at CSD; orange and black at Elizabethtown Middle; and red and black at Tar Heel Middle. They also have the option to wear a white shirt along with pants in black, khaki, navy or grey.

Valerie Newton, public relations and information officer for the school district, said things have transitioned smoothly at each of the schools.

"The entire middle-school atmosphere has changed in such a positive way with the uniform initiative," she said. "You get a great collegiate sense of academics within the schools."

Newton added that, as expected, there have been some bumps along the way, but she has seen them being worked out.

"As a district, we understand the newness of the initiative and the challenges that any change can bring," she said. "Our message to parents is that we are all working through this change together. We hope that, by this time next year, everything will run smoothly and be second nature to all."

Clarissa Kelly, principal at Tar Heel Middle School, said the transition to school uniforms has been almost seamless.

"The students look very respectable and are easily identified by our school colors," she said. "The uniforms have provided a sense of community within our school and among students. It's had a positive impact on our students, staff and community."

At Elizabethtown Middle, new Principal Adell Baldwin said the policy has been widely accepted.

"We took a poll (recently) and I'd say about 90 percent of the students liked the school uniforms," he said. "In fact, among eighth-graders, only seven out of 94 disliked it."

Baldwin added that, among the 10 percent who didn't like it were quite a few who could not afford the school uniforms. He said his staff has "really stepped up" to try assisting those students in purchasing uniforms.

"They want to see those kids fit in and not become labeled," Baldwin said.

"But all in all, the students are still adjusting to the policy," he added. "It's still pretty new. And those who are bucking it, we know, are going to buck anything new."

Randie Harrelson, vice principal at Bladenboro Middle School, said the transition has been "very smooth" and "the students seem to be proud of themselves."

Newton said she has been busy staying in touch with local merchants who carry the school uniforms in an effort to act as a liaison between the parents and merchants with regards to inventory shortages, problems with colors and sizes.

"Realizing that school uniforms is a year-round business and not just seasonal, our local merchants are diligently working to maintain uniform inventory throughout the school year," Newton said. "They have been a part of the change as well, and are adjusting to the initiative just like the rest of us."

Those local merchants carrying the school uniforms and/or accessories include Leinwand's, The Ladies Shop, Fisher's Men's Store, Scrub City, Sign Logic and Walmart.

As for the other schools in the county, Newton said there have already been discussions with parents of students in elementary and high schools regarding the expansion of the policy to a district-wide effort. She said Supt. Robert Taylor, with the assistance of a school uniform committee, will be soliciting feedback over the next several months "to help guide the direction of uniform expansion within the district."

___ (c)2012 the Bladen Journal (Elizabethtown, N.C.) Visit the Bladen Journal (Elizabethtown, N.C.) at Distributed by MCT Information Services

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