It wasn't uniform, and it didn't result in unforms either.

The Guymon Public Schools Board of Education nixed a committee recommendation for uniforms at their regular meeting Monday, 3 in favor of rejecting the recommendation, and two against. 

The board read through public surveys, listened to four guests explain their opposition to uniforms in three minute intervals and debated the issue among themselves before the vote was made. 

Assistant superintendent and dress code committee chair Ken Mason explained the process at which the committee reached their recommendation, saying they met three times, addressing the issue between the difference between a standardized dress code, and a uniform policy, and how to gain the public's opinion on the issue.

"At the first meeting we decided that we wanted to do some community input," Mason said, adding that they chose a survey format modeled after a professional survey company. "We had over 1,000 parent surveys. We had a little over 800 student surveys, and 154 teacher surveys that were completed." 

Parent surveys were offered at the parent/teacher conferences and the student surveys were given at each site, as well as the teachers' surveys.

District results were quantified at the second committee meeting, with 66 percent of parents in favor of implementing a uniform, 81 of teachers were for uniforms and students and only  25 percent were for uniforms. 

The survey also gave the option of against, undecided, would it cause a financial burden and an essay option. 

"Many of the committee members actually contacted other schools, teachers, communities, and administrators and the people that they know and networked and talked with and they came back to the table with all of that information as well as the results of this community survey, and they're recommendation to you this evening based on what they've done the last two months, is to implement a school uniform policy, to go beyond the standardized dress code," Mason said, adding that the reasoning was to promote grooming, hygiene, prevent disruption, avoid hazards and foster a positive learning environment. "That is they're official recommendation as a committee."

A motion was made by board member Elvia Hernandez to approve school uniforms, with board member Mitzi Dain interjecting that she would like to say something first. Hernandez rescinded her motion.

A personal opinion was then read aloud by member Dain in opposition to uniforms, which sparked a debate. 

After some discussion about the survey's validity and the sample taken, as well as the mention of enforcing the current dress code, a motion was made by Dain to not implement uniforms and found a second from Kevin Bruer.  

The motion then passed 3 to 2, with Dana Lutz, Bruer and Dain voting yay and Scott Dahl and Elvia Hernandez voting nay.

The board then gave Superintendent Doug Melton the directive to update the dress code policy and enforcement.`