Upstate School Considers School Uniforms

Westside High School in Anderson District 5 is asking parents for feedback on school uniforms.

Principal Henry Adair tells News Channel 7 he's considering having students wear uniforms after visiting several schools that have an Early College Magnet program, where students can earn college credit in high school and possibly graduate with an associate's degree.

Adair says his team found schools with the Early College magnet program also tended to require uniforms and that those schools said the uniforms helped improve student behavior, attendance, and performance.

Adair says, “When we visited these schools we found out a majority of them had a uniform policy.”

Adair says principals told him it helped in several ways. He says, “Basically I call it the big 3, better behavior, attendance, and better grades.”

The uniforms are subject to change, but could require khaki pants or skirts, for girls, and black polo shirts.

Adair says he doesn't want to do this without support from parents, so he's mailing out a survey for them to give feedback.

Parent Cindy Stricklin says, “I think it will teach them conformity, but I think every child needs to be an individual.”

Stricklin's daughter is a sophomore at Westside. She says, “I think she's the same way, why does she need to be told what to wear to go to school?” She says her daughter makes good grades, dresses within the guidelines, and that none of this has affected her schoolwork.

Principal Adair says if he decides on uniforms, it's not a punishment, and it's not because of discipline problems. He says, “Why not say let's all be uniform? Let's all be a family.”

Adair hopes to make a decision on uniforms sometime next month, after he gets feedback from parents. We checked around with other Upstate districts. Greenville has some schools that require certain color pants and shirts. Spartanburg 5 has one school that has voluntary uniforms, and Spartanburg 7 has two schools that require uniforms.

Adair says a survey asking for feedback from Westside High parents will be mailed out in the next three or four days.