Students at Fairview Elementary School may be sporting a new look next school year if supporters of a standardized dress policy can get sufficient school board support.

Angie Mucker, vice president of the Fairview parent-teacher group, presented findings of research on the plan at Monday night’s school board meeting.

Using student models to demonstrate, Mucker emphasized that the pilot program is intended to establish guidelines on what types of clothes are considered appropriate for school and to eliminate provocative attire.

“We feel like it is an opportunity for self expression, rather than hindering it,” Mucker said. “By removing status, you open up more productive avenues for expression for children in the form of wit, intelligence and creativity.”

If the board approves the proposal, students would be able to wear either dark blue, black or tan khakis with a belt and either black, white, red, blue solid color polo shirts. Sweatshirts are allowed again in black, white, red and blue but they must not have a hood or a logo.

Girls can also wear plain dresses and long skirts. Shorts and capris can also be worn, but not between Nov. 1 and April 1. All shoes would be required to have a closed toe and heel and no heelies.

The policy eliminates sweat pants, overalls and jeans from everyday school wear, apart from on designated jeans days and spirit week when shirts with the school logo can also be worn.

Mucker stated during her presentation to the board that as a parent she was skeptical about a standardized wear policy because of perceived higher costs, and restrictions on freedom of expression.

Following extensive research of programs adopted at other schools, however, she changed her mind.

At schools that have adopted such policies, Mucker said, parents have saved hundreds of dollars each year by not purchasing name brand clothes for their children to wear to school so they fit in.

Eliminating signs of socio-economic status of students at school, in Mucker’s view, is the most appealing part of the program and with 63 percent of its students on free or reduced cost lunches, she said, Fairview is a great place to start.

Fairview principal Chris Hess agrees.

“When kids walk through the school door in the morning, they are all going to be on the same playing field,” Hess said. “They are not going to be worried about what they have on, and there isn’t going to be peer pressure to wear certain clothes.”

Mucker said standardized wear had also gained praise for better identification of students when on field trips, promoting school unity and pride, eliminating gang identities and decreasing bullying.

Mucker said that many of the clothes required can be purchased inexpensively at stores such as Wal-Mart and Goodwill, and she suggested the possibility of establishing a used clothing bank at the school once the program was a few years old.

“A major motivator from a parent’s perspective is that they can avoid the middle of the mall fits when students say that their best friend already wears that,” Mucker said.

She added that research also indicates improved academic performance in schools that have adopted standardized wear policies because the students are no longer distracted by what they might be wearing in the classroom.

Mucker pointed to improved test scores at Hawthorn Elementary in Indianapolis, a school with similar demographics to Fairview, which has experienced significantly improved ISTEP scores after the adoption of a standardized wear policy. The school was named last year as one of 60 schools nationwide singled out last year for its academic improvement.

“It is, of course, only one piece of the puzzle,” she said, “and they have done many other things, but you have got to take the first step to get there.”

As part of its research into the pilot program, every parent of Fairview’s 450 students was surveyed. Ninety-six responded, with 51 in favor, 35 against and 10 with no opinion. Twenty-four of 25 Fairview teachers also expressed support of the policy.

Monday’s meeting was held at Columbia Middle School, and teachers from that school vocally voiced their approval for adopting a similar policy.

Superintendent Julie Lauck said she favored a pilot program at Fairview, especially one that is parent driven, and she indicated that it would not have to stop there.

“I would like to see one of our middle schools adopt a pilot program as well,” Lauck said. “It could go to high school as well. We will look to see how the pilot pans out and see how it goes from there.”

Hess said that she thought the program had the potential to be a fantastic addition to the school by enhancing the learning environment.

“I hope the board also sees it as a valuable thing,” she said.

Kevin Smith can be contacted at (574) 732-5148 or via e-mail at kevin.smith@pharostribune.com