More schools statewide are considering whether to require students to wear uniforms in fall 1997 after favorable reaction from parents to such a policy at Kamalii Elementary School in south Maui.
Mulling over a uniform policy are Kailua Intermediate School on Oahu, Mountain View Elementary School on the Big Island, Iao School on Maui, and the future middle school at Kapaa on Kauai.
Officials at the four schools say they are still conducting surveys to determine if they will adopt a uniform policy but that initial responses have been favorable.
Lahaina Intermediate School in west Maui adopted a uniform policy this year but has been unable to implement it fully because the clothing manufacturer hasn't provided the shorts for the students.
The state Board of Education adopted a policy on May 2, enabling individual public schools to require uniforms.
The board said it believed uniforms could promote a better learning atmosphere.
Kamalii, which opened on Aug. 19, became the first public school in the state to adopt a uniform policy. Students are required to wear school uniforms Monday through Thursday. Friday was set aside as a "free dress day" when other attire may be worn.
The Friday exception is in response to some Kamalii parents' worries that a strict uniform requirement may be too rigid.
Kamalii students are required to conform to a school dress code that requires closed-toe shoes to be worn Monday through Friday.
While Maui school officials are still reviewing information to determine whether student behavior has changed because of uniforms, many parents are already convinced of its benefits.
Out of an enrollment of 595 at Kamalii, some 590 students have purchased the school uniforms. They include T-shirts, knit shirts, shorts, jumpers and skirts.
"On Fridays (free dress day) about three-fourths of the kids still use the uniforms," School Vice Principal Joy Gaston said.
Parents say they support the policy because it saves them money and reduces time spent shopping for clothing and dressing their children.
"There's no fussing in the morning," said Loraine Passero, who has a daughter in the second grade.
Verna Schmidt who has three daughters attending Kamalii said she's happy because the uniforms cost about $150 for six sets and may be worn by her children for several years without going out of style. She estimates she will save $400 a year in clothes.
"There's no competition with other outfits," Schmidt said.
Parents say the benefits apply to families with boys and girls because many of the uniforms, including shorts and shirts, are designed for both.
While statistics are still being gathered to determine any improvement in behavior of students, reports appear mixed as to whether wearing uniforms helps to change behavior.
Kamalii Principal Sandra Shawhan said she's noticed there are more behavioral problems such as shoving, hitting and arguments on Friday when students are free to wear the clothes of their choice.
"It feels different for us," said Shawhan, who has worked as a principal and vice principal at Maui schools for several years.
Maui District School Superintendent Ralph Murakami said preliminary statistics indicate no change in behavior among students at Lahaina Intermediate School.
Murakami said it was too early to arrive at any conclusions.
But some residents still believe students going to public schools should not be required to wear uniforms.
Ina Williamson, whose grandchildren are among the few who received uniform waivers at Kamalii, said she believes children should be given more choice.
"It's an issue between control and freedom," Williamson said. "There's a lot more to it than uniforms."
Williamson said the perception is that children at the neighboring Kihei School, where no uniforms are worn, are "lower-class kids."
In the case of several schools elsewhere, parents seem more interested in economic realities, officials say.
"They see it as a means of saving money. We eliminate clothing distractions," said Lorraine Henderson, principal at Kailua Intermediate. "It's a win-win idea."