Palestine ISD issues changes for 2008-09 dress code

Staff Reports

Editor’s Note: The following is the Palestine Independent School District Standardized Dress and Grooming, reprinted from the PISD Web site as a courtesy for parents.

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Student dress and grooming conveys the expectations of the school and community and influences how others respond to and judge the Palestine ISD and its students. Appropriate student dress and grooming is that which is deemed in good taste, reflecting the standards of our community and contributing to the school climate.

While it is impractical to address every possibility of dress and grooming, a Standardized Dress and Grooming Code has been established in order to assist students in appropriate choices for dress at school. It is necessary for all students to understand that styles or clothing with visual or written messages which are likely to disrupt the school environment are prohibited. Examples of such prohibited messages include, but are not limited to, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, violence, vulgar or obscene language, and insults to race, religion, gender, or ethnicity. The guidelines and administrative decisions will reflect concern for health and safety of students and the influence of students’ dress or grooming on the overall educational climate of the school. The administrators of each campus shall apply the Standardized Dress and Grooming Code and make all final decisions regarding what is acceptable and appropriate.



General Guidelines:
All Clothing:

● Must be clean and free from holes or tears.

● Must be free from logos, pictures, objects or other symbols that exhibit suggestive or controversial subjects or that would distract from the learning process.

● Must be sized to fit. (No sagging, no oversized clothing, no tight-fitting garments.)

● Must be worn as designed for wear (i.e. suspenders worn over the shoulder, no backward or inside out wear).



Dress Code for Students Grades 1st through 12th

School issued identification badges at PHS and PMS must be worn on a lanyard around the student’s neck and must be visible at all times.



Tops (All Students)

● Only button collared Polo style shirts in solid colors are allowed. The shirt must be made with buttons up to the collar and may be long or short sleeved.

● Undershirts, such as turtlenecks, camisoles, and tank tops, in any solid color may be worn BENEATH the Polo style shirt.

● Boys’ shirts must be tucked into the waistband and the belt must be visible.

● No sleeveless tops are allowed.

● No crew neck T-shirts are permitted except on campus designated spirit days. On such designated days, the crew neck T-shirt must be school related (i.e. school clubs and organizations, campus/spirit shirts.)

● No undergarments (i.e. bras) are to be exposed.

● Cleavage shall not be exposed.



Pants, Shorts, Capris, Skorts, Skirts

● Solid colored khaki, navy, black, or denim pants, shorts, capris, skorts, and skirts are acceptable. Wind shorts, spandex shorts, cutoffs, boxer shorts, athletic or jogging shorts and bicycle shorts/pants are not allowed. All must be worn close to knee or below. Boys must wear belts.

● For 1st – 5th grade only, any khaki, navy, black, or denim jumper may also be worn.

● Any adornments, decorations, or designs deemed inappropriate by an administrator will not be allowed.

● No undergarments, to include boy’s boxer shorts and underwear or girl’s panties or thongs, are to be exposed.

● Wind suits are not acceptable.



Shoes

● Shoes must be worn at all times.

● House slippers/house shoes are not allowed.



Outerwear

● Any solid color jacket, coat, or sweater, with or without a hood, that opens in the front is acceptable. (including Palestine letter-jacket)

● Hoods must not be worn as a head covering inside the building.

● All outerwear must be worn open in the front inside the building.

● No logos larger than 2” are allowed on outerwear except on a Palestine letter-jacket.

● Trench-coats are not allowed.

● No pullover hooded garments are allowed.



Hair

● Male students must be clean-shaven; fuzzy and stubby beginning growth must be shaved.

● A student’s hair must be neat and clean, while not distracting or interfering with the learning environment. For male students, the hair length must not be longer than the top of the collar.



Additional Guidelines

● No sunglasses, combs, picks, brushes or headgear, including but not limited to hats, caps, sweat bands, bandanas, or do-rags are to be visible during school hours.

● No jewelry or logos that display vulgar or suggestive words or pictures, or ones that display or advertise drugs, violence, alcohol, tobacco, or gangs are permitted.

● No body piercing objects, other than pierced earrings worn by girls, are to be visible. No coverings intended to disguise or conceal them are allowed. No gauges are allowed.

● Skin decorations including permanent or temporary body tattoos, symbols, words, etc. may not be exposed. They must be covered at all times including physical education classes and athletics.