Starting on April 7th, the Cannon Falls Middle School and High School students will begin to wear school uniforms. The school board made the executive decision on February 19, and one week later the mass order of uniforms was sent out to CrazyLizard.org. They guaranteed that the uniforms would be arriving at the school by April 1, giving Mrs. Hoffman, Mr. Strauss, and Mr. Hodges plenty of time to disperse the uniforms among the student body.
The school board made the decision thinking it would help the students with bullying problems. Lots of bullying is based on what people decide to wear to school, and studies have shown that wearing school uniforms decreases bullying by 48%. “I personally don’t like the idea of wearing school uniforms,” Isla Harrison states. “I love to express myself through what I wear.”
The uniforms will be Bomber colors, which will not only decrease bullying, but it will also show major school spirit. “I think it could be a good opportunity to show more Bomber support,” says Lillian Olund. “Whenever I go to Bomber sporting events, I always notice that the Bombers lack school spirit.” The boys’ uniforms will consist of red and black bell bottoms, and black sweaters with a red collar. Girls will be wearing red and black plaid skirts, with black sweaters and red knee socks. The students will also be getting specific haircuts. For the girls, they will be sporting either a chin-length bob cut, or a mid-length haircut that will go to the shoulder area. The girls should either wear their hair braided, curled, or in pigtails. The boys will also only have two hairstyles to choose from: either a buzz cut or a mullet.
The school board will be funding the school uniforms, meaning some budget cuts. It was said that the budget cuts will not include releasing any staff members. “Our staff is so great, we couldn’t imagine letting anyone go,” Principal Tim Hodges says. Instead, the budget cuts will be affecting the lunch budget, probably meaning smaller portions and less desirable food.
The uniforms serve many purposes, including helping to decrease bullying. Some of the students are looking forward to wearing uniforms, while others are not looking forward to it. “I do not enjoy the idea of uniforms at all! Some of my friends and I are planning to start a petition to stop the uniforms. We plan to present it to the school board at the next school board meeting,” sixth grader Lizzie Tipton declared. Whether the students of Cannon Falls Middle School and High School like the idea of uniforms or not, they will have to deal with it, because it’s looking like a pretty permanent establishment to the school. So what’s next? School board member Luke Winchell says, “We’re looking to start year-round school!”
