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DERBY — The city’s board of education voted unanimously on Thursday (Dec. 19) to require school uniforms for students starting at the beginning of the next school year.
Derby schools have a dress code policy, but officials thought staff was spending too much time adjudicating potential dress code violations.
Jim Gildea, the chairman of the Derby Board of Education, said uniforms will cut out the distraction.
“This initiative has always aimed to give our administrators more time to concentrate on educating our students rather than managing dress code issues,” Gildea wrote in a text message to The Valley Indy.
He also said it will help students prepare for the workforce, where dress codes are common.
The policy covers all schools in the district.
Here are some of the requirements listed in the new school uniform policy.
Pre‑K through grade 12:
* Solid-colored polo shirts (red, white, gray or black) or crew neck shirts as displayed on the website (presumably after the policy is adopted)
* Khaki or black pants, shorts or skirts. Shorts and skirts must be an appropriate length
*“Outerwear,” such as sweaters, sweatshirts or cardigans are allowed if they are solid colored and red, black, or white
* No sandals, slides, flip flops or slippers
* The policy also states that school uniform purchases“may” be purchased through designated vendors or school-approved suppliers. Specifics, including prices, will be given out by the schools.
A draft of the policy is embedded below. Please note that on Dec. 19 the school board made two changes to what you see below.
1. They added black as a color for tops, and
2. Changed the physical education exemption to read “elementary school students may wear Derby designated gym clothes.”
The policy was first talked about at a school board subcommittee meeting in September. The policy then had two public readings — which is how school boards notify the public of potential policy changes — in November and then on Thursday (Dec. 19).
Click here and here for previous Valley Indy stories on the school uniform issue in Derby.
Click here for a Q&A on the issue with Derby High School Principal Jennifer Olson.
