School uniform issue fails to gain enough support

By By Georgia E. Frye / staff writer
Feb. 17, 2004
Almost two-thirds of the parents who responded to a Meridian Public School District survey said they favor school uniforms for students.
But School Superintendent Sylvia Autry said not enough parents participated in the survey for her to recommend that the Meridian School Board mandate school uniforms.
Autry said she wanted 75 percent of the 4,000 surveys that were sent home returned to the school district. Of those, she said, she wanted to see 75 percent of the parents favor school uniforms.
Instead, 53 percent of the surveys were returned with 61 percent of the responses in favor of uniforms.
The school board discussed letting schools choose to wear uniforms on a trial basis before considering making it a policy. But some board members said they wanted to make school uniforms mandatory.
School Board President Fred Wile encouraged Markham to continue to pursue the issue: "If we can encourage parents to support it, then I am all for it."
Also during Monday's board meeting at Kate Griffin Junior High School, Jason Chisolm, director of transportation, honored longtime bus driver Mose Bell with a plaque commemorating his 48 years of service.
And Autry, in honor of School Board Appreciation Week, honored members of the school board with plaques, and students from Poplar Springs Elementary performed several dance routines.
IN OTHER MATTERS:
The Meridian School Board took the following actions on Monday:
Approved a contract with Kingwood Forestry for $420 to take aerial pictures of land owned by the district.
Reimbursed $150 that was stolen from the Meridian High School and the Kate Griffin Junior High School
cafeterias last week and earlier this week.
Approved proposals to advertise and try to sell fill-dirt on land owned by the district.
Voted to pay $150 for a hotel room in New Orleans so school district employees can attend a conference for the Council for the Exceptional Child.