2026–2027 SCHOOL YEAR 

Students must be neat, clean, well groomed, and appropriately dressed at all times.  Students shall dress in a manner that conveys respect for the school environment and others around them during school, school dances & all other school-related events.   Guidelines are as follows:

 SHIRTS/BLOUSES: Shirts or tops must cover the entire upper body, including the chest, shoulders, and midriff. NO tank tops, low-cut or plunging necklines allowed. Tops must NOT be sheer/transparent.

GRAPHICS: Any clothing article or accessory which advertises alcohol, drugs, tobacco, illegal substance(s), political messages/affiliations, profanity, or any inappropriate/suggestive message may NOT be worn.

PANTS: All pants, including jeans, slacks and leggings with rips, tears or holes must NOT show skin above mid-thigh.  No “sagging” will be permitted. All pants must be worn around the natural waistline.  Pajamas are NOT permitted! No chains hooked on pants or other garments will be allowed.

SHORTS/SKIRTS: All shorts, athletic shorts, and skirts must be of appropriate length. The bottom hem must reach either mid-thigh or the student's fingertips when the arms are extended straight down at the sides; meeting either standard satisfies the requirement. Shorts and skirts with rips, tears, or holes are NOT permitted. No “sagging” will be permitted.

HEAD COVERING/HAIR COLOR: No hats, caps, bandanas, hoods, toboggans, sun visors or sunglasses will be worn at school, except for medical reasons as documented by a physician. Hair color, make-up &/or other accessories must NOT be a distraction to the learning environment as deemed appropriate by the faculty, staff, and/or administration.

VISIBLE BODY PIERCINGS/JEWELRY: Earrings and nose studs/rings are the only piercing jewelry permitted. All other visible piercings (eyebrow, lip, tongue, gauges, etc.) are prohibited. Covering piercings with bandages or tape is not an acceptable substitute for removal. No other visible jewelry may be worn. Jewelry that presents a safety risk or distracts from the learning environment is not permitted, as determined by the faculty, staff, and/or administration.

OTHER/ACCESSORIES/HANDBAGS: NO body art! Only clutch style handbags (pencil pouch size) are to be carried to class. For safety reasons, handbags/shoulder bags must be kept in lockers ALL day. Athletic bags must be taken to the coach’s classroom BEFORE school begins each morning.

 In matters of opinion regarding dress code, the judgment of the administration will be final.

 PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE FOR DRESS CODE VIOLATIONS

The goal of this process is correction, not punishment. In keeping with Board Policy 6.300, consequences are applied in a manner that balances accountability with support, minimizes disruption to instruction, and applies rules and consequences consistently for all students. The school administration reserves the right to accelerate steps based on the nature, severity, or frequency of the violation.

How violations are addressed: Staff members do not address dress code violations with the student and do not send the student to the office. When a staff member observes a violation, they notify an administrator by email or text message. An administrator addresses the violation directly with the student, oversees correction, documents the offense in Synergy, and handles all parent contact and any consequences. This applies at every step below.

Progressive Discipline Steps

Each step includes and builds upon the actions of the prior step. Documentation in Synergy occurs at every step.

First Offense

·        The staff member notifies an administrator of the violation by email or text.

·        An administrator addresses the violation with the student and gives the student the opportunity to correct it.

·        The student corrects the violation (changes into compliant clothing, using loaner clothing or a change brought from home if needed).

·        If the violation is non-correctable (e.g., hair color), the student returns to class and the matter proceeds to parent communication at the next step; the student is not removed from instruction.

·        The incident is documented in Synergy.

Second Offense

·        The staff member notifies an administrator of the violation by email or text.

·        An administrator addresses the violation with the student, who corrects it (loaner clothing provided if needed).

·        An administrator contacts the parent/guardian by phone to make them aware of the violation.

·        The incident is documented in Synergy.

Third Offense

·        The staff member notifies an administrator of the violation by email or text.

·        An administrator addresses the violation with the student, who corrects it.

·        An administrator contacts the parent/guardian by phone to discuss the pattern of violations and expectations going forward.

·        The incident is documented in Synergy.

Fourth Offense

·        The staff member notifies an administrator of the violation by email or text.

·        An administrator addresses the violation with the student, who corrects it.

·        An administrator contacts the parent/guardian by phone.

·        The student is assigned one (1) lunch detention.

·        The incident is documented in Synergy.

Fifth Offense

·        The staff member notifies an administrator of the violation by email or text.

·        An administrator addresses the violation with the student, who corrects it.

·        An administrator contacts the parent/guardian by phone.

·        The student is assigned up to one (1) week of lunch detention and placed on No-Go status for 15 school days.

·        A brief student/parent/administrator conference is held to identify barriers to compliance and any needed supports (Board Policy 6.300 positive behavior supports).

·        The incident is documented in Synergy.

Sixth Offense and Beyond

·        The staff member notifies an administrator of the violation by email or text.

·        An administrator addresses the violation with the student, who corrects it.

·        An administrator contacts the parent/guardian by phone.

·        The student is assigned a minimum of one (1) day of In-School Suspension (ISS).

·        Continued violations may be treated as a continuation of unmodified Level I misbehavior under Board Policy 6.300 and escalated accordingly.

·        The incident is documented in Synergy.

Refusal to Comply

A student who refuses to correct a violation or refuses to follow a reasonable dress-code correction directive from an administrator is no longer being addressed for the dress-code violation itself but for insubordination/defiance, bypassing the progressive steps above. The student is subject to the disciplinary options for insubordination set out in the Code of Conduct and Board Policy 6.300 (which may include withdrawal of privileges, detention, or in-school suspension).

Accommodations

·        Medical: Head coverings or other exceptions required for a documented medical reason (as documented by a physician) are permitted and are not treated as violations.

·        Religious: Head coverings and attire worn as a sincere expression of religious belief are permitted. Families needing a religious accommodation should contact administration, and reasonable accommodations will be provided.

Consistency and Fairness

Enforcement of the dress code and this discipline ladder will be applied consistently and equitably to all students, regardless of gender, in keeping with the Board Policy 6.300 requirement of consistent rules and consequences. In matters of interpretation regarding the dress code, the judgment of the administration will be final.

Physical Education Note

Refusal to dress out for physical education without a valid medical excuse is addressed through the PE participation policy and grading, not through this dress-code ladder, unless the clothing itself independently violates the dress code guidelines.