How you look affects how you feel and behave as well as how others feel and behave. School is a work environment for both students and staff. All students are expected to pay attention to their personal hygiene and to dress appropriately for school and for all school sponsored activities. Students and their parents are primarily responsible to see to it that students are appropriately dressed for school. Please reflect this your respect in your attire. Should the question arise as to the appropriateness of any student attire, we will follow the New York State Department of Education guidelines as follows:
Student attire should pass the test of:
- Decency
- Health
- Safety
- Non-interference in the educational process
Based on these criteria, a student’s dress, grooming and appearance including jewelry shall:
- Be safe, appropriate and not disrupt or interfere with the educational process.
- Recognize that extremely brief garments such as tube tops, net tops, plunging necklines (front and/or back) and see-through garments and shorts may not be appropriate.
- Ensure that undergarment is completely covered with outer clothing.
- Include safe and appropriate footwear at all times.
- Not include items that are vulgar, obscene, libelous, or denigrate others on account of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
- Not include articles of clothing which are sexually implicit or explicit (contain messages or imagery).
- Not include halter tops, spaghetti strap tops (single or multiple), tube tops, half-shirts, “muscle” shirts, shirts missing sides or clothing that reveals the midriff or other areas during regular activity.Not promote and/or endorse alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs and/or encourage other illegal or violent activities.
- Not display guns or any other weaponry.
- No tattoos should be visible on students who are below age 18 (As per New York State Law).
- No display of swastikas or confederate flags is allowed on school grounds.
- Volleyball and track shorts are not allowed. Shorts should be of moderate length as determined by school personnel.
- Bathing attire and pajamas are not to be worn to school.
- Sheer, mesh or backless apparel is not allowed.
- Costumes and/or masks (other than at approved functions) are not allowed
The building principal or his or her designee shall be responsible for informing all students and their parents of the student dress code at the beginning of the school year and any revisions to the dress code made during the school year.
School personnel will interpret the appropriateness of the student’s dress in all situations. The principal will exclude from school or class any student deemed improperly dressed until correction is made. Students in violation may not return to class until the item is covered or changed. Clothing items are available in the Nurse’s office. Repeat offenses will result in disciplinary action.