ASD Parents Surveyed about Uniforms

by Jonathan Weaver

School uniforms might have a future in the Armstrong School District depending on results of a survey being taken by parents.

Letters and surveys were sent out January 5, the day classes resumed after winter recess, and signed by School Superintendent Stan Chapp.

“Over the last few years, several public and private schools have considered adopting a system of uniform dress for their students at both the elementary and secondary levels. Uniform dress entails that all students wear the same type and color pants, shorts or skirt with a uniform style short or long-sleeved shirt.

School systems which have moved to a uniform student dress have found approval from parents as it is easier and less expensive overall to acquire school clothes every year. There is also a sense of unity with students and less peer pressure to have certain designer clothes.

The ASD Board of Directors and administration would like your input on this idea and would appreciate you taking a few minutes of your time to answer a short survey. The information you provide will help guide the development of future policy in this area.”
Parents needed to enter the student’s student identification number to be considered.
Callers during last week’s “Talk of the Town” discussion on Family-Life TV said that when Ford City and Kittanning consolidated into Armstrong Central in the early-1990’s, students that wore clothing supporting either former school were told to turn them inside out and not to wear them anymore.
Others were upset that all taxpayers were not delivered surveys for their opinions.
School Board President Joseph Close said the surveys are not an indication school uniforms will be implemented.
“There’s no plan for uniforms, nothing beyond (the survey question) ‘Would you be in favor of uniforms?’ It’s just to see what some parent opinions are,” Close said. “We’ll wait and see what happens with it. The survey is not an indication of something we want to do immediately or when the new school opens.”

Allentown School District (Lehigh County) students have been required to wear uniforms since September 2013, and the School District of Philadelphia, Scranton and Pottstown school districts also mandate students wear uniforms. Elementary and middle school students in the Ridley Park School District (Delaware County) and School District of Lancaster are also among the public schools that adopted a uniform policy
Section 12.11 of the Public School Code of 1949 allows for the school board directors to establish the dress code or require uniforms to some or all school buildings.