By: Sydney Sanders
From tweets to Facebook status updates to WDAM and the Hattiesburg American, the hot topic in Lamar County, especially here in Oak Grove, is the new dress code policy for the 2010-2011 school year.
On November 2nd, Dr. Ben Burnett, Lamar County Superintendent of Education, said the five school board members voted to implement a new dress code for the school district.
For years, the debate on whether or not to enforce school uniforms has been brought up several times, but now, a conclusion has finally been reached.
At the meeting, which was open to the public, a vote of 4-1 approved the policy which will be carried out next August.
“I am glad that this issue was finally decided on,” Burnett said. “I will now work hard to make the implementation of the new board policy for next fall a successful one.”
Mike Pruitt, LCSD board member, agrees that this issue was a lengthy one. “Some may recall that surveys were sent out to parents sometime back in the 2003-2005 timeframe, so it’s accurate to say that consideration has been taking place for at least that long,” Pruitt said. “For the action that was finalized this week (November 2 – 5), quite a number of administrators, teachers, parents, and students have been working for more than a year.”
With the LCSD mission statement – to empower all students with the knowledge and skills to create their own futures; to become passionate, lifelong learners; and to contribute cooperatively to a diverse and changing world – Burnett believes the policy will have a positive effect on safety and discipline. He also believes it will be a financial help for parents in the long run.
With daughters of his own attending Oak Grove, Pruitt agrees strongly with Burnett. “First, I have to admit that my own children have more than a little skepticism about the enhanced dress code. I will leave it at that,” Pruitt said. “Certainly, we hope each of the points [safety, discipline, and eventually less costs] are accurate. When we first began addressing this, I wasn’t sure there were adequate reasons to modify the existing dress code, and it took many conversations with administrators and parents that I represent to convince me of the benefits of starting from the ground up. We can’t lose sight of the fact that a primary function of a public school district is to prepare students to be successful in life – whatever their interest and endeavor. A stricter dress code, in many ways, will help by preparing students for restrictions that exist in most work places. That includes punctuality, accountability and, of course, appearance.”
Oak Grove students, along with Purvis, Baxterville, and Sumrall students, will all have something in common. From khaki pants to collared shirts to district and school colors, students will have to make preparations to adjust to the new guidelines. With the exclusion of black on black for Oak Grove schools, banning of blue jeans (except on reward days), and tucking in of shirts and tops, many students are unsure of how they feel. “After twelve years of being at Oak Grove, we have never had uniforms, and now, we are getting this new dress code my senior year!” Sarah Turner, junior, said. “Now clothing will be one less thing to worry about my last year of school. I guess it’ll finally hit me once school comes around next year.”
The decision to implement a dress code was not made hastily nor was it decided upon solely by the five men who currently serve on the school board. “Many other district policies were consulted, but the decisions were made by a committee,” Burnett said. “The final version was sent to the principals for input and the superintendent’s advisory council also had a copy for the last month for input.”
