COEUR d'ALENE - Drama is a great outlet for middle school students participating in theater productions.

But the day to day drama in the hallways over the latest styles in revealing clothing can be too much of a distraction, middle school educators say.

For that reason, Woodland Middle School is hosting a parent meeting at 7 tonight on the possible implementation of a uniform policy for the 2012-13 school year.

Woodland Principal Chris Hammons - who instituted a similar policy three years ago when he was at Lakes Magnet Middle School - will discuss the policy, the pluses and minuses of school uniforms, and answer questions along with assistant principal Heather Johnson.

"In order to get a policy like this at schools, you need to have at least 90 percent of parents saying they support this," Hammons said. "The staff is 100 percent for having a uniform dress code, but we need full parent support to make it happen."

Hammons said when the Lakes uniform policy began for the 2009-10 school year, sixth- and seventh-grade students accepted the changes "pretty well," but eighth-grade girls in particular struggled with the new rules.

"It depends on the fashion trends - that year, strapless tops were popular for girls," Hammons said. "(Uniforms) provide for less distraction, less drama, and more of a focus on learning. It takes some embarrassing clothing situations out of the scene."

Tonight's meeting will be followed up one week later as parents can vote on the uniform proposal when they attend student-led conferences on April 11.

If parents favor the uniform policy, the new rules would require approval by the Coeur d'Alene School Board before they took effect, district spokeswoman Laura Rumpler said.

Student dress codes and uniforms have attracted the attention of school officials quite often in recent years.

Currently, three magnet schools - Lakes Middle School, and Ramsey and Sorensen elementary schools - require students to wear uniforms.

At Lakes, students must comply with a list of allowable shirts, sweatshirts and "bottoms" during school hours or face disciplinary action, according to the uniform policy listed on the school's website.

Shirts and sweatshirts must have the Lakes logo, and students must wear either dress pants or blue denim jeans, knee-length shorts or knee-length skirts. All uniform bottoms must be worn at the waist with no rips or tears, and in acceptable colors.

Hats, bandanas, chains and sunglasses are not to be worn in the building, the policy states, nor are v-neck shirts, slippers, vests and/or scarves. And marker writings are not allowed on clothes or exposed skin.

In September 2011, the school district announced new rules regarding student behavior that included a dress code component. The new dress policy's targets included tops that allowed bare shoulders, waist or hips; low-cut blouses and low-slung pants; and pajamas, nylon tights, biker pants or boxer shorts worn as outerwear.

"When either boys or girls come to school in revealing clothing, it distracts from learning," Superintendent Hazel Bauman said of the new restrictions.

Hammons said enforcement of the new district-wide dress code has gone well, and noted the policy helps back up the slightly more restrictive uniform requirements at Lakes and, possibly, Woodland.

"This year, it seems like overall the student dress has been better, but every year you have clothing issues with a minority of kids," he added. "Really, all we're proposing is a slightly more strict dress code, and I think it's worked well at Lakes."