If there is going to be a dress code at all, I think it might as well be worth having. Keep it simple and specific. I am all for full uniform, but realize there are many that are not for that. A vague dress code will be hard to enforce and will not be taken serious.

I realize there must be a dress code but I am not necessarily in agreement with a uniform.  I can see the reasons for a uniform in bigger cities where there is a prevalence of gangs, etc. but I don't see the need for uniforms in a fairly rural community. 

I spent K-9th grades wearing a uniform and the rest of high school without.  I am 110% FOR uniforms.  Just like when you are on a team, or have a job that requires you to wear a uniform- you typically are proud of that, and rise to meet the expectations associated with the role you are playing.  As far as playing in our uniforms- that was not a problem at all- we had a formal uniform and a 'sports' uniform, and we could usually interchange them and wear them either one on any day.  And it's just as easy to get a grass stain out of khakis as it is a pair of jeans... Our schools also had used uniform sales at the end of each year, coordinated by parents to help defray the costs.  After school we would just change into 'play clothes'.  For shoes we had to wear toe covered, leather top shoes.  I lived in an area where it was above 100 degrees with over 90% humidity- I'm pretty sure that it is never that hot here; plus our bodies, especially children's, are amazing at adapting.  I've heard the argument about choice, and not being able to show personality through clothing- however, personality shines through no matter what you are wearing, and from what I witnessed as a child, wearing uniforms helped the children have better attitudes and show more respect .  Uniforms curtails the fads, modesty issues, judgements against not having designer clothes, etc.  It also cuts the cost of your children's clothes in general.  Anyway, if uniforms are not decided, I think a detailed dress code should be strictly enforced to cut the confusion.

I like the idea of a dress code, but not full uniforms. I want the option of being able to pick up nice shirts or pants at the thrift shop if one of my children play hard and rip a hole in the knee. I have one child that is especially rough on clothing and if I have to buy new clothes every other week, might get kind of tough. Just wanted to add a monetary thought to the mix.Thank you

Actually there is much evidence to suggest that a dress code  keeps a student's attention on the subjects they are learning and not on each other's "look" or "statement."  Creating fewer distractions is a priority for all of us. A dress code also takes the pressure off the faculty and staff to have to play the role of "clothing police," which keeps them on task as well.  In city schools it is well documented that uniforms reduces threats of violence and theft over clothing and shoes.  Uniforms instill discipline in a nice way, and create a sense of community.  Also, very important in this day and age, it immediately allows faculty and staff to identify who does not belong in the building.  This would actually make the practice of wearing a uniform a part of the school safety program.  As a parent in 2008, this is a critical point.  One of the reasons My wife and I decided to move our daughter to Gateway was the hope of a dress code.  It takes the pressure off us as well.  I'm not sure I buy the price argument.  Isn't it more cost effective to buy two or three uniforms, than an array of "collared shirts" which our daughter doesn't really one one of, or many different pants or skirts, when our kids wear mostly jeans?  Not to mention the "Imelda Marcos" collection of shoes most of our kids own (flip flops being their shoe of choice-which I've always found strange).  I know there are schools of thought that dress codes violate "freedom of expression" but couldn't that freedom be better focused on the subjects in class and not on the individuals themselves.  As a professor at SUU myself, I find I'm constantly telling my students to work on being a team and not on themselves.  The best human beings are the best "team" players, that's a fact.  The ones who are more about giving will be more successful.  As silly as it may sound, that road just may begin with a dress code.  I don't see many champion teams in sports dressed differently.  There may be a psychological reason for that beyond marketing.  So, is it isn't too late, our vote is for a dress code.  One pant style, one shirt style, one tie style, one skirt style, etc.  And something with that wonderful Gateway Logo tastefully displayed.  Give the kids a sense of pride that they belong to a brand new school, that dresses as a team and promotes a strong sense of individual learning.  That's the school we want to be a part of.  That's our vote, and we wholeheartedly encourage all our other parents/colleagues to join us before school begins. Peter Sham 

I am in total agreement for a dress code, even as far as a uniform.  I attended a school in Provo, although it was a private school, where we had to wear uniforms, and it really does add to the learning atmosphere.  We realized it was like a job, we were there to learn, not goof off, show off, and try to get each others attention.  The teachers there were paid by performance also, so there was never a child left behind, their paychecks depended on it, not how much money the school would recieve.