TRUMBULL COUNTY District parents revive school uniform campaign
Hubbard schools will have 68 new pupils through open enrollment.
By MIKE VAN CLEAVE
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
HUBBARD -- A group of parents came to the Hubbard school board meeting with a plan to revisit making uniforms mandatory for Hubbard pupils.
An effort toward the same end was squashed two years ago when parents were met with strong opposition from some board members, said parent Karen Karpinski at Monday night's board session.
Karpinski, who is a parent of a sixth-grader, is hoping for a different result this time.
"We need something to keep them [Hubbard pupils] in balance, so we make education the No. 1 thing, and not what they wear," Karpinski said.
Karpinski brought in several examples of the proposed school uniforms, which consist of tan or navy blue khakis and polo shirts, to show the board what the parents' group's plans were.
Student's response
Dan Havalo, ninth-grader at Hubbard High School, didn't like the idea of forcing high school students who had grown accustomed to dressing a certain way to wear uniforms.
"If you're brought up in that kind of system, it's great," Dan said, but he added that it's a "completely different world" in high school, where students use styles of dress to express individuality.
No action was taken on the uniform issue, but board member Robert Toth suggested that the panel survey the public to get a feel for what the majority prefer.
In other action, interim Superintendent Lucille Esposito announced that Hubbard schools will accept 68 new pupils through open enrollment for the 2004-05 school year.
Esposito also announced that the board will meet with pool employee labor unions this week to negotiate a contract that would allow board action toward reopening the community swimming pool.