TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Legislature put incentive money on the table for schools that made the switch to mandatory uniforms this year. But not many districts are jumping at the idea.
Schools have until Sept. 1 to apply for the incentive money. A school would have to have their school uniform policy in place by Jan. 1.
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Teacher Rod Durham didn't grow up wearing a uniform for school.
"I did not," Durham said. "I went to the high school I teach at."
The 11th-grade creative writing teacher said he doesn't really see the need for them in his classroom.
"It gives everybody kind of a -- to use the word ‘uniform' kind of look, where everyone's the same, but I've just never had a problem with kids expressing themselves through their clothes," Durham said.
But the Legislature gave schools some extra help in their decision making process on uniforms this year. They've incentivized making what they call standard school attire mandatory for elementary and middle schools. Districts are eligible to receive $10 per student if they make the change.
Only four districts have applied to potentially make the switch to khakis and collared shirts so far.
There's a $10 million pot available to schools on a first come, first serve basis. The K-12 Chancellor Hershel Lyons said the Department of Education isn't pushing districts one way or the other.
"We just implement what the Legislature puts in place," Lyons said.
The incentive program made the cut in the state's budget. It had previously passed the House but not the Senate. Lawmakers heard from five districts that already had uniforms.
"When they implemented a school uniform policy in their schools the climate, the culture of their schools improved. It's an issue of school safety," said Rep. Janet Adkins.
Uniforms are also eligible for the state's back-to-school sales tax holiday, which starts at the end of the week.