Two Newport Beach schools considering uniforms

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT BEACH -- Two Newport Beach elementary schools have put the

controversial question of uniforms in parents’ hands this week.

Following the district uniform policy that requires parents to organize

uniform drives for their own schools, the PTAs of Anderson Elementary

School and Mariners Elementary School have sent surveys home to

parents.Veronica Kubat, an Anderson PTA member, said what she sent was a

neutral survey accompanied by a letter and a copy of the new Eastbluff

dress code as a possible example.

“At the first general meeting this year it seemed to be pretty heated,”

said Lockie Russell, PTA president at Anderson. “Then we called a smaller

meeting just to deal with the dress code issue and there wasn’t a lot of

turnout, but definitely a strong undercurrent.”

Thus far the issue has not seemed volatile at Mariners, said Chris

Wilkinson, PTA president.

“To be perfectly honest I don’t have a clear reading on this,” she said.

There was, however, sufficient parent interest to get the ball rolling.

Both schools seem to have a strong base of support for uniforms, but the

issue still may be a cause of debate, as it was at Eastbluff.

“It seems from what I can tell at Anderson, parents don’t necessarily

feel that Anderson needs it except that they want to see it at a

secondary level,” Russell said.

The national trend to require uniforms at public schools has sparked many

heated debates, and has most Newport-Mesa schools at least considering

the idea.

Several elementary schools in Costa Mesa, such as Adams Elementary

School, have had uniform polices in effect, but the notion is new to

Newport Beach.

“We’ve actually had a uniform policy for three years,” said Michele

Graham, Adams PTA president. “It’s worked out really well -- I haven’t

heard of any problems.”

She did say she believes each school should handle it on an individual

basis.