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City Council Recommends Uniforms At LAUSD Schools

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Nov 4, 2009 12:50 pm US/Pacific

City Council Recommends Uniforms At LAUSD Schools

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: The City Council passed a resolution recommending school uniforms at Los Angeles Unified School District campuses.
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The City Council unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday recommending school uniforms at all Los Angeles Unified School District campuses.

The nation's second-largest school district currently allows the administration of each school to decide whether its students should wear uniforms.

The resolution by Councilman Jose Huizar, who served two terms as president of the LAUSD board, called on the district to adopt a policy that would make school uniforms mandatory at all campuses.

"This is an issue of safety and of raising student achievement," Huizar said. "I served on the school board for four years, and I certainly witnessed that those schools with uniforms had higher student achievement, and I also saw that their students were more orderly and focused on the purpose of learning at school."

Capt. Phillip Tingerides of the Los Angeles Police Department's Southeast Division said school uniforms were necessary for public safety, particularly in communities with gangs.

"In areas like southeast L.A. where there are gangs everywhere and they're identified by colors of clothing, it takes away that in-your-face-I'm-from-this-gang message," Tingerides said.

He said he has personally observed a reduction in gang activity at Markham Middle School in Watts since its student uniform requirement was instituted.

Several school districts across the country, including Long Beach, New York City and Washington, D.C., have implemented school uniform policies.

Several charter schools in Los Angeles also require uniforms for elementary and middle school students.