5511 - DRESS AND APPEARANCE

The Board recognizes that each student's mode of dress and appearance is a manifestation of personal style and individual preference. The Board will not interfere with the right of students and their parents to make decisions regarding their appearance, except when their choices interfere with the educational program of the schools.

Accordingly, the District Administrator shall establish such dress and appearance guidelines as are necessary to promote discipline, maintain order, secure the safety of students, and provide a healthy environment conducive to academic purposes. Such guidelines shall prohibit student dress or appearance practices that:

1. present a hazard to the health or safety of the individual student or to others in the school, including by way of communicating threats of harm or depictions of harmful conduct directed at others;
2. interfere with school work, create disorder, or disrupt the educational program, including dress that promotes or depicts illegal activity, such as illegal drug use, underage alcohol consumption, or similar activities;
3. cause excessive wear or damage to school property;
4. prevent the student from achieving educational objectives because of blocked vision or restricted movement.

Such guidelines shall also apply to the dress requirements for members of the athletic teams, bands, and other school groups when representing the District at a public event. Where appropriate, a uniform or specific dress requirement shall be used for students when representing the District as described.

In enforcing the dress code, the following procedures shall be used:

1. the principal shall serve as the initial arbiter of student dress and appearance within the building or at school-sponsored events or activities;
2. before taking action to enforce dress code requirements, including by requiring that a student remove, cover, or otherwise conceal the item or depiction at issue, the principal shall determine whether the item constitutes protected speech insofar as the item independently makes a statement of a discernable nature to the observer by depiction, words, or combination of the two that does not require separate explanation.

Expressive dress may not be protected speech if it involves:

1. obscenity;
2. language or depictions intended to incite violence or foment hatred of others.

Dress that is protected speech may still be prohibited if it is likely to cause a substantial disruption to the educational environment. This may include dress that includes the use of vulgarity, discriminatory language including racial or ethnic slurs, negative stereotypes, violence, or other communication when the clear intent is to invoke strong reactions in observers so as to impair the ability of teachers and/or students to engage in educational pursuit.

No protected speech may be prohibited on the basis of disagreement by District officials with the specific point of view expressed if the topic is otherwise permitted (e.g. permitting depictions of support for one political party, but prohibiting depictions of support for the other).

Students who violate the foregoing rules will not be admitted to class and may be subject to additional consequences.

If the clothing cannot be removed or concealed, the student may be sent home after contact is made with the student's parent.

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