The Clinton City Board of Education and school officials discuss educational matters during a work session earlier this week.

In the near future, student musicians in the Clinton High School Marching Band will be performing in new uniforms.

During a work session Monday night, the Clinton City Board of Education awarded a contract to DeMoulin Brothers & Company for $42,000 for the purchase of the new uniforms. Clyde Locklear, director of finance, presented the request and bids to the board.

Under the contract, the company will provide jackets, pants, gauntlets, shakos, and garment bags. The cost for one uniform set is $295. About $42,000 was appropriated from capital outlay funds,which may provide more than 130 uniforms. Currently the program has about 100 students.

“You have to have more than that number for size and fit,” Locklear said to the board.

Dustin Nguyen, CHS director of bands, said the current uniforms used by students are more than a decade old. “The past uniforms have served us well, but I know they’ve been around for 12-plus years and are supposed to last around 1o years,” Nguyen said following the meeting.

The other bid was submitted by Fred J. Miller Inc. Locklear said the district asked for a look to meet the specifications of the program and DeMoulin Brothers & Company met their needs.

“They looked at the quality of construction, the pricing specifications …,” he said.

Nguyen said the new uniforms will showcase more of the school’s black and gold colors, and will be a change from the traditional white uniforms.

“The new ones will change the band’s look from a traditional one to one that is much more modern, but still pays homage to the town of Clinton and the school,” Nguyen pointed out.

During the meeting, there was a consensus among the board members to get started on the process since the uniforms usually take about 160 days to construct. Nguyen said the goal is to have the uniform for the 2015-16 school year.

“The movement for new uniforms was one started by (band director) Mark Cashin during his last year at Clinton, and I wanted to make sure the cogs stayed in motion for this and wasn’t swept under the rug with a change in directors,” Nguyen said.

The current band director said there’s definitely a high need for the uniforms for the band students.

“There will be shakos instead of the cowboy hats, and the reception from the band and parents have been extremely high from what they have been shown,” Nguyen said.