About 15% of enrolled students need financial help to buy the collared shirts and non-denim pants that have standardized students' clothing choices away from 'high fashion'.
To conform to UNIFORM requirements in 2009, schools assisted the poorest families, handing out $50 clothing vouchers and spending a system-reported $375 thousand.
But that's not happening again.
Not with a $54 million deficit.
Not with continued wage negotiations between the schools and employee unions.
So five weeks before classes begin, some parents are reaching for the panic button.
STEVE WERTHEIM: The schools are going through what we're all going through."
Steve Wertheim is an unlikely victim of the rush for relief.
The director of the United Way's "First Call for help, 2-1-1" which links people to community resources, says those resources are simply more scarce. People calling for clothing help will likely top the 700 requests of last school year - but many organizations which used to step up, can barely raise their philanthropic feet.
Wertheim says the unexpected clothing requests really reflect a far larger looming crisis..
STEVE WERTHEIM: "We took a cut in our work force development dollars in this county - so there's less money for job training. So to say I expected it, probably the answer would be no, but is it part of a trend, where we're seeing less dollars for social services, for job training, health and human services in general? Yes."
Wertheim is hoping non profits and corporations will help out.
Meanwhile, he's already cleared 80 calls for help with uniforms, and it's just July.
Cleveland schools did not respond to questions about the decision to cut clothing assistance.
