Over 49 percent of public schools in the U.S. require uniforms or formal dress codes as of 2013, and this percent continues to rise.

School uniforms are often associated with private schools. As of the year 2000 numerous public schools are changing their policies.

Bellows Free Academy (BFA) does not have a required school uniform, but does have a dress code set in place.

The dress code is geared mainly toward females, with rules in place addressing spaghetti straps, bottoms being too short, and tops displaying too much.

Meanwhile boys have limits on pants hanging too low.

In BFA’s history, there has never been a required school uniform, there has only been a dress code.

An ASEP study showed that school uniforms actually can have benefits towards schools including lower violence rates, more class participation, and less bullying.

A NAESP survey given to school principals with uniforms at their schools reports that 79 percent of the principals felt uniforms made student safety better, raised student achievement 64 percent, reduced peer pressure 86 percent and reduced bullying 64 percent.

Researchers in Nevada took three local schools from Nevada that implemented school uniforms and requested the student’s opinions on the uniforms.

Only 10 percent of students claimed they liked the uniforms, meanwhile the other 90 percent did not approve of school uniforms. Taylor Martell (‘19) had a very strong opinion on the subject
of school uniforms.

She said that she would dislike having a uniform at BFA.

”I think having a school uniform would lessen the rate of bullying because you won’t be able to get judged on your clothes,” Martell said.

The biggest concern between the two was not having an outlet to express themselves, “Nor being able to express who you are, and your own ideas,” Martell said.

The debate of school uniforms in public schools vs. self expression is ongoing and one currently being addressed all over the U.S.

With two sides to the argument, it remains uncertain as to whether or not uniforms would be beneficial to BFA.