Rockdale Citizen

CONYERS -- Peek's Chapel Elementary School is pushing for its students to wear a type of uniform next school year.

Although Peek's Chapel has operated as a standard attire dress code school since it opened in 2001, school officials are hoping this upcoming school year for all of its students to wear the uniform.

"This year especially, we want (students) to put a focus on academics," said school Principal Tiwon Toney. "We want the kids to be dressed for success."

Students are encouraged to wear red, yellow or blue collared button-up or polo shirts with khaki or blue pants, shorts, skirts or jumpers from Monday through Thursday. On Friday, students can wear their Peek's Chapel spirit wear shirts with jeans or uniform bottoms.

Toney said the initiative is one of the goals of the school council for the coming year. School officials don't want students to be worried about fashion, but instead focus on their school work.

He said some sort of incentives will be put in place for students who participate in the program.

C.J. Hicks Elementary School also encourages a standard Dress for Success dress code for all students in which they wear khaki, jeans or navy bottoms with tucked white, yellow or blue tops. Tops can be long- or short-sleeved, turtle necks, sweaters or sweat shirts, and bottoms can be pants, skirts, jumpers or walking shorts that are knee-length or longer, according to its website.

Officials at Rockdale County Public Schools are considering implementing a uniform dress code for all schools, but the policy won't go into effect this school year, if at all.

Recently, a uniform committee decided that a uniform policy survey would be placed in student handbooks for parents to sign and return at the beginning of the school year, said Cindy Ball, director of Community Relations at Rockdale County Public Schools.

She said the committee's recent research found that some studies indicated that students showed positive effects from wearing a uniform, such as positive student behavior and student achievement. Other studies showed that uniform attire had no effect.

"There is not a lot of scholarly research," Ball said. "But there is no indication of negative effects to prevent us from at least moving forward to inquiring of parents."