Tuesday, July 20, 1999
Butler Co. high school backs off on uniforms
BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer Contributor
MONROE — A uniform proposed for students at Lemon-Monroe High School will be voluntary until the Middletown/Monroe school board acts on it and parents have time to comment.
There was an error about when students were expected to comply with the uniform in a July 10 letter to parents from Principal Cathy Hamilton. The letter indicated students should be in uniform by October, but that's too soon, Mrs. Hamilton said Monday.
“The earliest it would be in effect is six months,” Mrs. Hamilton said. “We have to follow the legal time line.”
Before a uniform policy can be put into place, two things have to happen, said Norris Brown, school district director of pupil personnel:
• The board has to review it.
• Parents have to be given six months to comment.
Provisions also have to be made to help low-income students buy the clothing.
After studying the possibility of uniforms, student council put it to a vote in April. Students voted in favor of wearing them, Mrs. Hamilton said Monday.
“I was extraordinarily pleased with their thinking process,” Mrs. Hamilton said. “We're a school that celebrates diversity. In that context, they didn't want clothes to be a diversity they celebrated. They said too much energy is being spent on clothing.”
The students' decision follows a trend among schools in the Tristate. Some elementary students in Hamilton and Norwood wear uniforms, and about 30 Cincinnati Public School elementaries have adopted voluntary uniform programs since 1996, when the district gave schools the option to require or strongly encourage uniforms.
Before making any decision on uniforms at Lemon-Monroe High School, board member Carol Brotherton said she needs more information.
“I want to see more research and I want to hear the parental and community input,” said Mrs. Brotherton, who has a daughter at the school. “I'm very concerned about the legal implications.”
School board members have not seen anything yet on this, she said.
Mr. Brown said no other school has requested a uniform since the district adopted a policy allowing it last year.
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