New superintendent pauses district uniform requirement, will monitor discipline and update student code of conduct

Incoming Superintendent Dr. Ballinger told the Chesterfield 01 School Board he will not require uniforms districtwide for the coming school year and instead will use the year to evaluate the practice.

"What I want to do is I want to not require uniforms this year at any of our schools," Ballinger said, adding that the district will present monthly discipline data to the board and evaluate the results by next April to determine policy for the following school year.

Ballinger noted uniforms started in 2010, that only two schools still use them, and said his status as a new superintendent makes this an appropriate time for re-evaluation. He said students should have an opportunity to influence whether uniforms return: "The fate of the uniforms are in the students' hands," Ballinger said, describing this as an opportunity for student ownership tied to behavior.

Ballinger also said the district will update the dress code and fold changes into the student code of conduct; he told board members he will share proposed changes for review and that the board could elevate dress-code rules to formal board policy if it wished.

The superintendent did not provide a timeline for a formal policy vote but said staff would identify metrics and report monthly on discipline as part of the evaluation process.