Dress code

Question: Is there a dress code? And if so, who is responsible for enforcing it? I am at ALL the schools often and the clothes that are being worn to school these days are not appropriate! Warm or not, "appropriate fitting" clothes need to be worn! The girls are revealing way too much skin everywhere -- shirts are cut too low, skirts and dresses are cut too high, boys' shorts are hanging below their bottoms... The example being allowed to be set at our district is appalling and embarrassing! It is now being rolled down to the middle school and even the intermediate and primary levels. Flip flops or no flip flops, spaghetti straps or no spaghetti straps -- what is it? When my daughter asks me, I don't know what to tell her! What I do know is what I see, and some of what I see can't be right!

Answer: The relevant portion of the code of conduct is as follows:

Student Dress Code (Policy 7.2.2 Code of Conduct) 
All students are expected to give proper attention to personal cleanliness and to dress appropriately for school functions. Students and their parents have the primary responsibility for acceptable student dress and appearance.

A student’s dress, grooming, and appearance, including hair style/color, jewelry, makeup and nails should:
1. be safe, appropriate and not disrupt or interfere with the educational process.
2. recognize brief garments such as tube tops, net tops, halter tops, spaghetti straps, plunging necklines are not appropriate.
3. not carry book bags and/or any other storage bag, including over-sized pocketbooks, upon entry into the school building until the end of the school day.
4. not wear winter coats and/or any outerwear garments upon entry into the school building until the end of the school day.
5. not wear headgear upon entry into the school building until the end of the school day.
6. not include items that are vulgar, obscene, or denigrate others on account of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
7. not promote and/or endorse the use of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs and/or encourage other illegal or violent activities.

If students and parents are not abiding by the code of conduct to which every student and parent is a signatory, then such behavior should be corrected by staff. If staff is not enforcing the policy, then we will take action to remind them to do so and reinforce the standards of our schools.

- answered by Edward Szumowski, Board of Education President