You made my point to a T. I too was in the group of very very poor. Me and my Brother received clothing only at Christmas after school started. That was from my Aunt, She gave us 1 pair of jeans and 1 shirt. Between start of school and Christmas we wore either last years clothes or the "new" clothes my Mother was able to buy. We got
1 pair of pants (2 pairs if my mother really saved thru the year )
2 shirts
new under ware
new socks
new shoes
Outside of that we wore what we had. I still to this day remember being called "Poor" which to all points we were poor, but in my eyes as a child it hurt, it was embarrassing and I felt like an outsider. My Mother was a single mom that received not 1 penny in support from my dead beat dad that lived 9 states over from us. Back then there were NO child support laws to enforce payments, either your parent gave willing or you survived on the only parents income they had. Buying clothes back then meant the differences between you eating and having a place to live. Clothing wasn't as much as it is now, but money is still money. I can remember seeing a pair of jeans 1 time that cost 20.00 it was levi's jeans I should say now that was the only jeans back then kids wore named brand. well that 20.00 for those jeans would be about the same as 100.00 dollars today. Back then we had stores like Kress, Rose mart, and a TGIF. that was the "Poor" peoples stores and of course thats where we got our "new" clothing from. We STOOD out like a sore thumb in school compared to 'most" the kids who wore Levi's. I hated HATED to go to school. I knew before the ending of the day someone would be calling me "Poor" or I would be made fun of my clothing. That was just life as a child growing up in the 60 & 70's. But kids are still the same today as back then. Kids are cruel, mean and they do still make fun of children that can't afford the brand names. Parents can only over see their children's raising to a point, once they are out of your sight they do as they will even more so now days with peer pressure. Then you have the kids that have the mind set they are "better" than anyone else because this is how they have been raised. It was no different in my school days as now.and it's those kids that make the if you will "Poor" children feel awful about what they have to wear at school.

Placing all the children is the same " clothing " group they are not able to single out a child that's not wearing brand clothing. Even tho, pants still can come from the top line stores. You will have more parents buying from the big box stores than the mall stores. A child can't say to another child OMG you have those color pants on ? You wear that kind of shirt ?. It groups them all in the same categories so they have to look at themselves before signaling out another student for not having the " Tommy shirt " or " what ever the latest jeans are now "/ All the kids are "Equal" in the same styles thus children don't feel less than human when they are less fortunate than their counter part.

Personally me, I would hate to know my children attended a non uniform public school. I can see me home schooling them.No way would I/ we be able to afford the name brands with 4 kids. No way ! . The thought of my kids being made fun of because I don't shop at the malls just horrifies me to no end. I'm glad we have the uniforms and I hope they always will.

Being poor isn't a crime and more and more families are facing losing their jobs . I can only imagine what kids will do in schools when their Friends families find themselves having to make a choices between sally's jeans or eating.