Miscellaneous » School Policies » Dress Code

Dress Code

DRESS AND GROOMING

The district believes that school performance and future success are enhanced by appropriate dress and good grooming. The district’s dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, prevent disruption, and minimize safety hazards.

Parents are strongly encouraged to work closely with the school to enforce moderate hairstyles and high standards of dress for their students. Parents will be serving the welfare of our students and helping us as educators by emphasizing standards of neatness, cleanliness, safety, and decency in dress and grooming. The Dress Code is in effect for students while attending school functions or school sponsored activities on or off school property.

While it is inevitable that there will be differences of opinion as to the appropriateness of dress, grooming, and / or determining whether or not a student’s attire is disruptive or distracting to the educational environment of the school, the final determination will be made by the campus administration. Students who choose to violate the dress and grooming code will be sent to an administrator for clarification and/or disciplinary action. Parents will be contacted and requested to bring a change of clothes so that the student will be in compliance with the dress code. If available, the student may also change into clothing provided by the school. Repeated violations of the dress code will be construed as insubordination and further disciplinary consequences will be incurred by the student.

Because fads in dress and grooming are subject to sudden, and sometimes radical change, campus administrators reserve the right to rule on dress and grooming matters which involve decency, cleanliness, safety, bizarre, disruptive, or extreme modes of dress for school. Any exceptions will require approval and will be for a specific purpose or reason. This applies to school activities during or after instructional time, and either on or off campus.

The principal, in cooperation with club sponsors, coaches, or other persons in charge of a school organization, may regulate the dress and grooming of students who participate in extracurricular activities.

Students and parents may determine a student’s personal dress and grooming standards, provided that they comply with the following:

  1. Hair must be neat and clean. Unconventional hairstyles (spiked hair, shaved hair designs or extreme hairstyles) that are considered to be distracting and/or disruptive to the educational environment are prohibited. Students may wear natural hair colors only.
  2. Halter tops, exposed midriffs, strapless and / or low cut tops, exposed backs, spaghetti straps, see-through clothing, tank shirts and sleeveless athletic shirts are not permitted. Shirts and blouses must extend below the waistband, but cannot extend beyond the student’s fingertips when the student is standing. Shoulder straps must be at least 2” wide for students in grades 6 – 12 and must be worn on the shoulder. Underwear shall not be visible or exposed.
  3. Clothing with pictures, emblems, symbols (including gang and satanic), slogans, or writings that are lewd, offensive, vulgar, obscene, contain sexual innuendoes, promote violence, are disrespectful, or cause disruption to the educational environment as well as articles of clothing that advertise or depict tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, controlled substances, or other prohibited substances is prohibited at the discretion of the campus administration.
  4. Appropriate footwear is required. Footwear that has toes and / or soles reinforced with steel, hard plastic or similar materials is prohibited. Footwear with wheels is prohibited.
  5. Shorts will be permitted provided that the shorts are neatly hemmed and conservative and modest in appearance and must extend beyond the student’s fingertips when the student is standing or as determined appropriate by an administrator. The same standard applies to slits or slashes in shorts. Over-sized athletic shorts are prohibited. Form fitting and skin-tight shorts, pants (i.e. leggings or jeggings), or body stockings of spandex worn alone, or other similar materials worn alone are prohibited.
  6. Pants and shorts shall be worn securely at the waist. Sagging is prohibited. Worn, torn, cut offs, over-sized or long clothing is not permitted. Underwear shall not be visible or exposed. Warm-up suits, sweat suits or wind pants except during P.E. classes are prohibited in grades 6 – 12.
  7. Dresses, skirts, skorts and split-skirts will be permitted provided that they are neatly hemmed, conservative, and modest in appearance and must extend beyond the student’s fingertips when the student is standing or as determined appropriate by an administrator. The same standard applies to slits or slashes in skirts or dresses.
  8. Earrings or body piercing ornaments and other similar ornaments will be worn on the ear only. No gauges, spikes or thumbtacks may be worn. Band aids may not be used to cover body piercings not in the ear.
  9. Visible tattoos must be covered while in the classroom, on school grounds, at school-related activities or school-sponsored events.
  10. Hats, caps, or other head apparel (“do rags”, bandanas) are not permitted with the exception of JROTC, PE classes with permission of the teacher, or those that meet medical needs of students. Hoods on hooded sweatshirts, shirts, and jackets may not be worn during instructional time or while in the building. Hats, caps or other head apparel must be placed in backpacks prior to entering the building for students in grades 6 – 12.
  11. Any apparel or attire that is considered to be distracting and / or disruptive to the educational environment (ex. pajamas, lounging undershirts, pajama style clothing, temporary or permanent cosmetics, ornamental dental applies, “grills”, house shoes, shower shoes, hair curlers/rollers, sunglasses, studded jewelry, spikes or chains of any type) or is considered a safety concern is prohibited. Hats, caps or other head apparel must be placed in backpacks prior to entering the building for students in grades 6 – 12.

Medical conditions may qualify for an exception from certain dress and grooming policies. However, any exceptions must receive prior approval by the campus administrator and be supported by documentation from a physician.