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TIFTON --
In February, the Tift County Board of Education asked a committee for some information to be presented on possibly implementing school uniforms, now the board has to decide whether or not to adopt the new dress code based off of feedback.

The committee says the advantages to having uniforms include easily being able to spot an intruder, especially after recent national school safety issues.

"If the students are in a uniform, if there is someone that comes into your building that isn't supposed to be in your building, it's much easier to identify that person that doesn't belong," said SuzAnne Lamb, Parent Involvement Coordinator at Tift County High School Northeast Campus.

Other pros of implementing uniforms include less bullying and more of a focus on schoolwork than joining a group or clique, but not all of the research showed positive feedback.

"They basically interfere with student self expression is one of the cons. They think that it prevents the students from being themselves,” said Reginald Phillips of Phillips Educational Consulting and Associates LLC.

The committee says some parents also worry about the cost of buying the uniforms as well as normal clothes for the weekends.

Despite the pros and the cons, the school board is leaving the decision up to the public. On Monday, they opened an online survey that allows all members of the county to voice their opinion.

The board will accept the survey results until March 21st. After that point, they'll use the results to vote on the subject.

"Basically what we want to do is just lay it out. We don't want to voice an opinion one way or the other, we want the community to decide whether or not we want uniforms,” said Phillips.

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