LAWRENCE — School Committee member Samuel Reyes says he made a deal with the student council at Lawrence High School — if students can follow the dress code, they will vote to include shorts as part of the dress code.
"I told them if they want us to implement shorts as part of the dress code, 'you've got to do a better job in compliance in wearing the pants the right way,'" said Reyes, who heads the uniform subcommittee. "We went out there and batted for them, and now we want them to go out and do their part."
The only possible obstacle: School Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy, who took umbrage at the last School Committee meeting that he had not been consulted about the proposed dress-code changes ahead of time.
"This was a surprise to me," Laboy told the committee. "I think my office is owed at least that protocol — that we have a conversation at our level."
Under a proposal that appears to have solid support by the School Committee, boys and girls will get to wear chino or Bermuda khaki shorts no higher than the knee next spring. Girls would also get to wear capri pants.
The recommended changes — which also expand the section on footwear to include solid brown or black shoes or sneakers and black, brown or camel suede boots — passed by a 6-0 vote during the first reading several weeks ago. A majority of School Committee members interviewed said they will vote to approve the measure at the committee's Aug. 21 meeting.
Reyes considers getting the superintendent's backing on the changes to be the biggest challenge.
"I think he's totally against it, but he has to work with us. I have a different outlook than he does," Reyes said.
School Committee Vice Chairman Gregory Morris says he is all for it, "so long as the kids can buy into it."
"Initially, I wasn't keen on the shorts. But it's a give-and-take world, and we let the smaller kids do it in other schools now," Morris said. "I think it's good that we've got the kids' and everybody's input on this."
Committee member Peter Larocque said he doesn't foresee any problems with the proposed changes because the subcommittee — which includes Reyes and member Priscilla Baez — took the time to interview parents, teachers, administrators and students.
"As long as this is signed off on by parents, then I'm all for it. This whole uniform issue was brought to us by parents. Parents wanted their children to go to school in uniform," said Larocque, who was active with local PTA groups prior to getting elected to the committee.
One of the parents who has been most critical of the existing school uniform policy called the revised measure "spectacular."
"I think it's great, just the fact the School Committee members took time to talk to the kids, the staff, the school and the parents," said Maria Figueroa, one of two parents who worked with the subcommittee. "There's a sense of victory that we were able to accomplish this. And I pray that everything that Sammy has done and Ms. Baez has done gets approved."
The subcommittee has been active since the March suspension of Figueroa's daughter — honor roll student Flormarie Figueroa — for wearing a sweater that school officials said didn't comply with uniform dress codes. Maria Figueroa claimed that her daughter was unfairly singled out by school administrators unhappy with her outspoken criticism of Laboy and other school officials, particularly over the lack of communication with parents over changes in school uniform policy.
Laboy and other school officials said they understood Maria Figueroa's concerns and respected her views on the need for uniform policy modifications and better communications with parents.
"I'm glad Sammy is dealing with it. He's looking out for the best interests of the kids," Maria Figueroa said. "But I think our emphasis needs to move on. We're there to educate our kids. That needs to be the primary focus, and we need to stick with that."
The controversy about the sweater suspension prompted Reyes and other committee members to take a closer look at the uniform policy. Reyes began making frequent trips to the high school, meeting with students as well as teachers and administrators to get their views on dress-code matters.
"We spoke with the kids, and I believe the kids weren't really involved in the decision making when this (dress code) first came out," Reyes said.
Reyes doesn't anticipate much opposition in getting the uniform policy to allow for shorts, noting that students in grades kindergarten through eight are already allowed to wear them. Shorts would be worn only from April 15 through the end of the year, under the proposal.
"The high school is still having a problem with the climate in the building, and I wanted the kids to feel comfortable going to class," Reyes said. "But the main purpose of the dress code is to establish an atmosphere conducive to learning and to foster pride in appearance."
Veteran School Committee member James Vittorioso called Laboy's comments "way off-base," noting that the superintendent doesn't consult the committee before making his appointments. So why should the School Committee tell the superintendent of proposed policy changes in advance, Vittorioso asked.
Besides, the school officials whom Reyes and Baez met with in previous informal sessions weren't very cooperative or helpful, he said.
"I think the policy is long overdue, but I was a little disappointed that the help from the high school wasn't there," Vittorioso said. "It's a good policy that I think will get results."
Laboy reported earlier this year that about 50 to 60 Lawrence High School students are suspended weekly for violating the uniform policy.
