- December 16, 2025
A Flagler County student with Tourette’s is limited as to what clothing he is physically able to wear.
The Flagler County School Board’s Jan. 17 decision to implement a districtwide school uniforms policy raised as many questions as it answered. What will the uniforms look like? How will the policy be enforced? The board met Wednesday, Jan. 25, to discuss some of the details. Click here for that story.
But while some parents have argued against uniforms because of costs or inconvenience with doing laundry, others have asked what will become of students who, for one reason or another, are physically unable to wear dictated clothing?
Diane Cooper is the mother of Nick, 11, a sixth-grader at Rymfire Elementary School.
Nick was diagnosed with ADHD in 2006. Then, in 2009, he was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome.
Because of Nick’s conditions, he has a low tolerance for certain fabrics, as well as clothes that he feels restricted in.
“With Nick, it’s a sensory overload,” Diane Cooper said. “If (most people) put on a certain pair of socks, they would adjust the sock or something. For him, it’s an utter meltdown. It ruins his entire morning.”
Because of her son’s conditions, Diane Cooper is faced with several difficult decisions heading into next school year. She is weighing the option of homeschooling.
Her fear is that if she gets an Individualized Education Plan for Nick to allow him to wear clothes that fall outside uniform guidelines — whatever they may be — her son will stand out even more than he does now.
Cooper is concerned that he will spend more time in the office rather than learning in class because he isn’t in compliance with the dress code.
“If he were forced, yes forced, because that is what a uniform policy in public school is, he will not succeed no matter what we do,” Cooper said.
School Board member Andy Dance said Tuesday in a phone interview that the board has not decided on any details regarding uniforms.
“Those concerns are valid,” Dance said, in reference to Cooper.
Cooper said she would follow the rules if required, but she is opposed to uniforms.
“My son struggles enough,” she said. “Why can’t he be comfortable in his own clothing?”
