MIDDLETOWN — Joyce Nocton only spent $100 on school clothes for her Vail Middle School son last summer and expects them to last another year.

        It is one of the reasons Mrs. Nocton volunteered for Rosedale Elementary School's uniform committee. When her two younger sons return to Rosedale, they too, will be in uniform.

        Rosedale recently became the district's fourth school to adopt a uniform since the Middletown Board of Education voted to allow it almost two years ago. Since then, uniform committees organized by parents at Taft Accelerated, Central Academy and Vail got parent's support, and students were asked to wear them this past school year. Uniforms become mandatory at Vail and Taft for the coming school year.

        Rosedale's uniform will consist of sweat shirts, long- or short-sleeved T-shirts or polo shirts with the school rocket on them. They can be white, navy or light gray. Pants, shorts, skirts, jumpers and skorts can be navy or khaki. Tops will be on display at next month's All America Weekend and available for order then or through a planned mailing.

        Besides cost savings, Mrs. Nocton said she favors uniforms because some clothes students wore weren't conducive to learning. They also remove peer pressure to wear certain clothing, and identify students on field trips or in the building.

        “They're what the kids like to wear anyway. They're not confining,” Mrs. Nocton said. “It's a very flexible uniform. It's not a cookie cutter outfit.”

        Compliance on the voluntary uniforms this past year was good at the two elementary schools and started out strong at Vail but then interest waned, said Norris Brown, the district's director of pupil personnel.

        Last August when school began, 65-70 percent of the students complied with the then voluntary policy, said Kathy Venturella, who is helping to establish a “Spirit Shop” for uniform purchases. By May, few students were following the guidelines, which is why the committee applied for a variance, making the uniforms mandatory the second year.

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