School Considers Dress for Success

Kaunakakai Elementary School is starting the process to get uniforms – after a request by a student.

“I was on my way to an SCC [School Community Council] meeting last year when a student on the playground asked, ‘why can’t we have uniforms?’” said Principal Janice Espiritu.

So she brought it in front of the SCC, who has been moving the idea along ever since.

Acting head of the uniform committee is parent and SCC representative Kelly Go, who sent a letter to all families that attend Kaunakakai, polling for their opinion.

Go said that of the 112 families that responded (out of 160), 70 percent are in favor of a uniform policy; 27.5 percent didn’t think it was necessary, and 2.5 percent had no preference. She also received 15 volunteer parents who want to be on the uniform policy committee, when officially formed.

“Even those who were against [the policy] want to be on the committee, to be involved,” Go said.

Espiritu said the goal is to get students in uniforms by next school year.

“[Uniforms] instill a sense of school pride, help parents financially…and studies have shown [uniforms] improve student performance,” she added.

Go said she’ll next be taking a look at other schools’ uniform policy, to see what could work for Kaunakakai. If uniforms are implemented, all schools on Molokai except for Maunaloa Elementary School will have uniforms.

Kaunakakai on the Web
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