Henrico adopts new countywide school dress code
What kids wear to school in Henrico County has gone from a school-by-school decision to a countywide policy.
Two pages of dress code were adopted by the Henrico County School Board today as part of revisions to the Code of Student Conduct, which goes out to students and parents at the beginning of each school year.
The revised code also includes more detailed regulations on laptop policies, cell phone use and transportation.
The previous dress code consisted of a paragraph giving broad guidelines -- no revealing clothing; no exposed undergarments; no headgear worn inside, except for religious purposes; and no apparel that conveys an inappropriate message. Each school was expected to establish age-appropriate expectations.
The new dress code provides specific guidelines ranging from the length of dresses to the tightness of clothing.
For details about the policy, see tomorrow's Richmond Times-Dispatch.
-- Katherine Calos
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Reader Reactions
Anonymous,
Just what do haircuts have to do with dress codes?, If my son wants to grow his hair down to his belt line that’s of no concern to you or anyone else… Guess he is following my lead, I suppose that makes him a hoodlum and me a terrible father doesn’t it? After all donating our hair to cancer patients must just be appalling to you and those with prudish attitudes like yours huh?
It’s not hard, establish rules and stick to them. When I was in Henrico schools years ago, Mr. Mears at Freeman would lean on the radiators between classes and if appropriate, tell us to tuck in our shirts, get a haircut before tomorrow, etc. He ran the school, not us, and I for one am glad he did.
This is certainly a difficult issue, personal freedom, stability in schools, etc. Since the county decided to adopt a dress code, it makes sense that the policy is transparent and clear for everyone and applied evenly. I think that there are some good reasons for school uniforms, too bad that the system would not adopt that for a 1 -2 year trial period. A tough decision regardless.
Robo
I find it sad for people to feel requiring students to display a modicum of decency and common sense would somehow be upset with having to conform to a set of standards. There will always be those who will push the envelope to see what they can get away with. Schools teach much more than subject like math and history. They should also be places that teach our children about interacting with others in a society so all can prosper.
metoo-
I understand the appropriateness issue, but these things get out of hand, a few years ago when my oldest daughter entered middle school, they banned hooded sweatshirts - the excuse was that several kids refused to keep their hoods down, my question is why restrict the freedom of all because a few kids refuse to use common sense? Pants around the knees, although I personally don’t agree with the fashion statement, the kids would however be easier to catch if they did something wrong and attempted to flee… Gang Insignia? well at least the teachers and truant officers would no who to keep an eye on… Point being you don’t solve any problems, you merely disguise them. And remember the kids are in school to prepare for the “Real” world, just how do you prepare them for that in a “Fantasy” world? What comes next? Uniforms?, but wait they would be banned under the Gang/Club colors rule, why not send them naked it would guarantee that they were not hiding anything… (for those of you that fail to recognize sarcasm the “Naked” remark was just that)
Huffie- It has nothing to do with violence and everything to do with appropriateness. Take a walk around the mall and look at what young girls are wearing. Seriously, skin hanging out everywhere, tight as I don’t know what. This isn’t ‘the club’ it’s school, dress like it. It’s absurd the way young women put it all out there these days. The dress code they propose is probably what most schools have anyways, it’s just having it formalized and unified so that girl A at Deep Run gets in just as much trouble for showing a little cleavages as girl B at Varina, that Boy A has to wear his pants above his butt just like Boy B, that certain logos do have gang connotations and won’t be worn at any school.
There’s to need to be overly modest, but exercise some discretion. I’m glad your children are super smart and can think about dressing appropriately, but I’m sure they sit in classes next to someone with something too much hanging loose. If everyone was able to make wise decisions without rules governing them, we wouldn’t need those rules. Since many people can’t, we do.
I think it is a good start. I read the dress code proposal that was adopted on the Henrico County Schools website. I am not sure why a link could not just have been posted in this article. A lot of the clothing articles they are banning would cause a distraction to the learning environment. Students are going to school to learn and become educated not to show off the latest fashion styles. I have seen students get beat up because a guy looked a girl in a skirt she should probably not have been wearing to school and the girl’s boyfriend got jealous. So he beat the other guy up. I think these dress code guidelines also give high school students an idea of the real world where you just can’t wear anything you want to your job Most jobs have either a uniform to wear or a dress code of their own.
Starting with “no cleavage” would be a good thing. The parents or whoever is in charge of certain young ladies may not teach them anything about modesty or self-respect, but maybe someone in the school can. Also, I don’t want my daughter having to look at no one’s rear end sticking out of a low pair of pants….or their boxers or thongs, it’s just nasty nasty nasty! GROSS!! I am in hopes for any and all of these kids, however, that raising the bar and asking them to raise their standards a bit will actually do something for them emotionally and mentally, you’d be surprised! No it’s not a cure all for violence, but there is nothing wrong with setting some standards for these kids. No one said they had to come in suits & ties or dress slacks & heels, just have a little self respect & show a little for others, it goes a long way.
Is this seriously the one thing that the highly educated members of the school board believe will end the violence??? Give me a break, or better yet give the kids a break. Its a fact that the tighter the restrictions on personal freedom of choice result in more and more kids being pushed over the edge. Please show us one shred of evidence that a “Budweiser” T-shirt has ever killed anyone, a halter top ever choked anyone, or a mini skirt ever beat someone into a coma. You can blame hooded sweatshirts if you wish, but what it boils down to is that the average parent out there today is unfit and expects the “Village” to raise their kids for them. What they actually need to do is take the last twenty or so years of “new rules” and wipe them off the books then rethink each and every one of them sensibly before reenacting them. Rather than shooting from the hip with the simpleton idea of a “Revised” dress code.
- Father of four honors students; ages 11 thru 15 who is seriously considering Home Schooling them (especially if Chesterfield pulls a ridiculous stunt like this)
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