WRONG---Research shows no such thing!! The major research (the only two books on the subject) by Dr. David Brunsma ( U of Mo. at Columbia Sociology Prof) shows net DIS-advantages to unis and NO improvement in academics, attendance or discipline. You are correct on ONLY ONE thing---kids will NOT protest; contra to the public image of violent, wild kids, today's kids (even in HS) are WIMPS. All over the country, they have allowed schools to force them into uniforms instead of the FULLY-APPROPRIATE clothes they have worn since K.
All you pro-uni people, please read the Uniform Myths and other contra msterial at the PARENTS (not kids') website---www.aprod.org. Unis are a fraud ; they are both SOCIALISTIC & Fascistic; really; look up the definitions. In America we believe in diversity.
If some kids are bullying others over clothes, that can & must be stopped by an ANTI-BULLYING code like we adopted in Phoenix where I served on the HS Board of a 25k inner-city district for 8 years. A uni code---on the other hand---group-punishes the GOOD kids for the sins of the bad kids.
The solution---besides an anti-bullying code---is to start ENFORCING the REGULAR dress code which permits diverse styles & colors but which bars disruptive and indecent clothes. Schools do NOT have to tolerate baggy pants showing underwear or halter tops showing cleavage. If you can't enforce a simple dress code, why do you think you can enforce a harsher UNIFORM code???
My major objection---besides the lack of diversity---is that uni codes bar traditional conservative casual clothes that have been worn in the U.S. for 50-100 years---fully-appropriate street clothes like striped and logo tees and WELL-fitted denim jeans. Honor-roll Kids have been EXPELLED MERELY for wearing such clothes and refusing to wear khaki/polo unis or wearing the "wrong" colors. Most uni codes bar all logos except the school logo; such are unconstitutional and in any event, pro-uni people don't realize those rules allow punishment of kids wearing Eagles, Steelers, Phillies and 76ers logo tee shirts!!!!
The intention of most of the pro-uni people is good---but THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS. At least your district should do what is allowed in all of Calif and in Miami & NYC---allow individual PARENT opt-out from the uni rules. Believe it or not, experience in Long Beach, Cal---the first district to "require" unis---shows that parent opt-out WORKS---and becomes win-win and avoids many of the legal and practical problems created by a fully-mandatory program like yours.
Pa. is in the 3rd Circuit,. and Judge Alito ruled in the SAXE case that schools have very limited authority to control student expression on clothes. Other Pa. schools have been sued; you can avoid this by permitting the "good" kids to opt-out and wear APPROPRIATE street clothes to school. I can be contacted at GaryK57647@aol.com and will help any parent/kid combo that wants to fight this./s/ GARY PETER KLAHR, J.D.