For the past 3 years, the President has actively been supporting activities that reduce violence and crime in schools. The Clinton administration is always looking for ideas or concepts that will help create safer schools. After talking to and working with schools that found reductions in crime and violence after adopting a uniform policy, the Clinton administration drafted the manual to assist communities that want to implement school uniform policies. The President believes that it is a local decision whether to adopt a uniform policy. The school uniform manual developed by the Departments of Education and Justice merely provides guidance and assistance to local school districts and schools.
School uniforms are usually less expensive than the clothes students typically wear to school.
Further, the manual gives some suggestions for schools that want to assist families in need of financial help to purchase uniforms. School uniform policies permit children to wear expressive items, such as a button that shows support for a political candidate, or a religious piece of clothing, such as a yarmulke or head scarf. School uniform policies must be viewed as part of a comprehensive safe school strategy and should be combined with such other actions as training security personnel, implementing zero tolerance policies, and starting after-school programs. Individual schools and school districts that choose to adopt uniform policies should determine what their uniforms are. No one style of uniform is predominant.