Published Tuesday, June 22, 1999 Samples from JCPenney Co., Wal-Mart and Sears were available for directors to look at. Prices for shorts, skirts, pants, and shirts ranged from about $7 to $24.
Vendors were on hand at the request of a 15-member committee of teachers, students, parents and school board members investigating a common style of dress in select colors rather than uniforms.
Since May, the committee has drawn up a list of possible requirements. The combination of clothes focuses on a dressier appearance and Hornet school colors.
In the tentative mix-and-match clothing list: Pants could be black, khaki or gray. Blouses, shirts or turtlenecks in polo, dress or oxford styles would be white or red with the possibility of matching sweaters or vests. Jumpers would be optional for students in kindergarten through sixth grade in black and gray colors.
Skirts could be black, khaki or gray. Shorts would have to have cuffs in a walking-style-length and be black, khaki or gray. Socks could be white, red, black or gray. Shoes could be black. Tennis shoes would be permitted only for physical education class for upper grades. Elementary students could wear them only on the days of physical education class.
Hickory High School Assistant Principal John Camuso said he is hoping to have the committee meet before attending the school board's next meeting on June 29. Camuso said public meetings and surveys would be conducted before anything is put in place.
Director Tim Ruffo said the committee drew up the proposed requirements in order to have a rough idea of what they wanted before presenting it to the public. The committee and community can work from there, he said.
If a uniform-style of dress is OK'd by the community and the board, Ruffo said the committee would want the dress to be voluntary the first year and mandatory after that.
