Cincinnati Public Schools - School Uniform Policy Recommended

School Uniform Policy

Cincinnati Public Schools adopted a voluntary school-uniform policy in 1996. The policy states that the decision to require or strongly encourage students to wear uniforms must be made at the school level. The policy also sets out procedural steps to be followed by a school's principal and leadership team in developing a school uniform policy.

The steps:

Surveying all parents of the children in the school.

Convening at least one meeting to which all parents are invited.

Using multiple and frequent means of communicating the proposal to parents.

Giving parents at least six months between the time the decision is made and implemented.

Obtaining the agreement of at least 80 percent of the staff.

Having approval of the Local School Decision-Making Committee.

Developing a procedure to assist parents of economically disadvantaged students in obtaining uniforms.

The policy also states that students shall not be excluded from school for not wearing uniforms. It further requires schools with uniform policies to make provisions to protect rights of religious expression and free speech, and to permit parents to opt out of the uniform program with a written request.