Published on August 13, 2025 at 11:14 am
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Parents say their teens are being sent to the auditorium — and are missing out on valuable school time — because the polo shirts they are wearing don’t have the school logo.
One mother told News4Jax she’s so frustrated she’s considering pulling her children out of Westside High School entirely.
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She said her son spent two full days in the auditorium — and her daughter, an honors student, was also pulled from class just because her pants had pockets.
“They sent her in the auditorium to sit there. I had to call up there and ask them why,” Tiffany Kendrick said. “I understand that if all of the kids are out of uniforms, yes, but it’s the first week of school. Some of these students haven’t seen their teachers yet. It’s ridiculous. How are they ever going to get an education if you’re putting them in just one room and making them sit there for hours?”
According to the policy, students are required to wear gray, black, or red polo shirts with the school logo. Khaki or black pants, shorts, or skirts are allowed — but no jeans, leggings or cargo pants.
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Parents say some students are being pulled from class simply because their shirts are missing the school logo — even if the rest of the outfit meets the guidelines.
The school says the policy is mandatory, with no opt-out option.
In response to the backlash, the principal apologized for the confusion in a message to parents, saying the new policy is about improving school culture, safety and accountability.
His message said, in part:
Dear Westside High School Parents and Guardians,
I would like to first apologize for any confusion or frustration that may have been caused by the enforcement of the Westside High School Uniform policy. This correspondence will hopefully clarify the communications previously sent and that are posted on our website.
In our ongoing effort to increase student accountability, promote integrity, and maintain a safe, comfortable learning environment for all students, Westside High School will implement a mandatory school uniform policy for the 2025-2026 school year. All students will be required to wear uniforms and will not have the option to opt out. Research shows that school uniforms improve safety, boost self-esteem, and reduce anxiety about appearance. Uniforms also improve discipline, raise academic performance, and contribute to a stronger school culture. By adopting this policy, we aim to strengthen our Career and Technical Education Academies and better prepare students for success beyond high school.
Among students, there’s talk of a peaceful protest. They are encouraging each other to wear their school polos but to wear “non-uniform” pants.
“Keep this up until they let kids go to class,” a post said. “They cannot continue operating as a school without students in classrooms.”
This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
