Certified and Non-Certified Employees' Appearance Guidelines

Certified Staff
As role models to our students, all certified employees are to use good judgment in their choice of professional attire. One's dress and grooming must be such that it does not disrupt the educational process or compromise reasonable standards of health, safety and decency.

Articles of clothing such as jeans, shorts, t-shirts, jogging suits/sweat suits, hats, bandanas, tennis shoes or other inappropriate footwear, etc., are not considered professional attire and must not be worn.

Our students are currently under a mandatory uniformity of colors policy. Certified staff may wear "the colors" providing their apparel falls within the above stated guidelines.

Principals/Directors are to monitor certified staff members' attire. A private, informal conference should be held as the first step to clarify a dress code violation. Subsequent violations will warrant appropriate action.

Student Dress and Appearance Guidelines

1. Tank tops, brief shells, tube tops, halter tops, sleeveless shirts, body suits, leotard, shredded, cut or torn clothing.  Tank tops worn over T-shirts with sleeves may be worn to school.
    
2. Shorts and cutoffs.
    
3. Bare midriff, mini skirts, and questionable fitting skirts.
    
4. Unbuttoned shirt or blouse that exposes the body.
    
5. Obscene or see-through clothing.
    
6. Bare backs.
    
7. Hats: Both girls and boys, head scarves, curlers, rollers, sweatbands, scarves, gloves, and sunglasses.
    
8. Outer garments which include coats and jackets are not acceptable dress in the building during the school day.
    
9. Any item or jewelry, clothing and/or accessories that do not contribute to the positive health and educational climate of the school will not be acceptable.
    
10. No bare feet, house shoes, or scuffs.
     
11. Any items of dress or grooming, including outerwear and headbands, jewelry and colors that may be gang-related, are not allowed on school property or at school-related activities.
     
12. Sculptured hair in any style or form is unacceptable.
     
13. Male students are not to wear earrings or ear pins.
     
14. Phone pagers, tape players, walkman type radios, tape or disc players, and cellular phones are not to be worn, carried, or placed in a school locker.
     
15. Jewelry and personal clothing, such as fine jewelry and expensive jackets, should not be brought to school, nor should money be brought to school, except in the amount necessary to purchase food and drink for the day. School employees are not responsible for the personal property of a student. The wearing, possessing, or storing of personal property not related to school activities is the responsibility of the student and the home.
     
16. Culottes or split skirts will be allowed for girls as long as they are easily distinguishable from shorts.
     
17. Mid-calf-length trousers will be allowed as long as the fit is appropriate (clothing must be worn at the waist;
    modifications made to reach the calf-length is not acceptable).
     
18. Unfastened belts will not be allowed.
    
    The above listed guidelines are in effect for summer school also.

Mandatory Uniformity of Colors Policy

I.  Compliance Measures

1. Students' dress and grooming must not disrupt the educational process, interfere with the maintenance of a positive teaching/learning climate, or compromise reasonable standards of health, safety, and decency.
    
2. The Uniformity of Colors which students must wear is defined as follows:
   
   Solid Navy Blue bottoms (no logos or insignias other than official recognized designer labels), navy blue pants, appropriately sized (no baggy/saggy pants), skirts, skorts, culottes, jumpers, and knee length or longer shorts. Jeans, sweat pants/nylon athletic pants and/or spandex wear will not be acceptable at any time.
   
   Solid Navy Blue, Red, or White tops; sweaters/sweat shirts (no logos or insignias other than official recognized designer labels). Solid color navy blue, red, or white long or short-sleeved shirts or blouses with collars, polo shirts, T-shirts (not undershirts), turtlenecks and solid navy blue, red, or white sweaters/sweat shirts.
   
   Solid Navy Blue, Red, White, or Black dress or athletic shoes (no logos or insignias other than official recognized designer labels). Belts, shoes, and shoelaces must be solid color.

II. Exceptions

Uniformity of Colors need not be worn at extracurricular athletic, academic, dramatic, or musical events or ceremonies, unless required by the staff member supervising the event. Other appropriate clothing requirements may be made for such events by faculty sponsors with the approval of the Superintendent of Schools. Uniformity of Colors need not be worn during physical education classes, but appropriate gym attire will be required.

Further exceptions to the dress code may be determined and implemented by the administration on an as needed basis (e.g., dress-up day, school spirit day, sanctioned groups or clubs, legitimate religious or ethnic dress).

The Board of School Trustees finds that whenever a students' religious beliefs or health needs are reasonably believed to require any deviation from the Uniformity of Colors or dress code policy, accommodations may be made provided that the student's parents shall consult with the student's building principal. The principal shall determine whether a genuine conflict exists between the Uniformity of Colors requirements and the central tenet of the student's religious beliefs or health needs and what accommodations, if any, should be made for the student. Any exception to the Uniformity of Colors requirements recommended by the principal based on a student's religious beliefs or health needs shall be submitted to the Superintendent for approval. The Superintendent shall also consider requests for assistance for compliance with this policy and shall adopt reasonable criteria and procedures to further this purpose.

     A.  No student shall be considered noncompliant with the policy in the following instances:
 

1. When noncompliance derives from financial hardship;
    
2. when a student wears the uniform of a nationally recognized youth organization, such as the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, on regular meeting days;
    
3. when wearing a school Uniformity of Colors violates a student's sincerely held religious belief; and
    
4. when a student's parent or guardian has secured an exemption from the Uniformity of Colors Policy by following the procedures set forth in section B.
    

    B.  If the parent(s)/guardian(s) desires to exempt his or her child from the Uniformity of Colors Policy, the
         parent(s)/guardian(s) must observe the following procedures:

1. Request by mail or in person an Application for Exemption from Uniformity of Colors Program. The parent(s)/guardian(s) may obtain an application at the student's school site.
    
2. Complete the Application in full and submit it to the designated administrator for Uniformity of Colors Program Exemptions at the student's school.
    
3. Meet with the designated administrator to discuss the Uniformity of Colors Policy and the nature of the parent(s)/guardian(s) objections to the policy. The purpose of this meeting includes: 1) Ensuring that the parent(s)/guardian(s) understands the reasons for and goals of the Uniformity of Colors Policy; 2) verifying the accuracy of the information on the Application; and 3) preventing fraud or misrepresentation.
    
4. For purposes of consistent administration of the Uniformity of Colors Policy, meet with a designated district administrator to discuss the nature of the parent(s)/guardian(s) objections to the policy.