State of Florida Student Dress Code Law

[terri]

No Orange Hair, Short-Shorts For Lake County Kids

July 25, 2011 11:25 PM


(Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images) – Students in Florida will no longer to be able to dress like this in school under a new law passed by the Florida legislature, and being implemented now by school boards.




TAVARES (CBSMiami) – Florida schools have lots of problems. The state cut budgets to the bone, and local taxpayers are hard pressed to make up the difference. Teachers are being fired. Programs are being cut. And in Lake County, in the heart of the state, the response from the school board is to ban students from wearing orange hair, bangs, and make-up that hides their eyes.
The Lake County School Board used a special meeting to vote on the policy, to make sure a final vote can be held to get the rules into place for the start of the school year August 22nd.
School board members originally changed the dress code to bring the district in line with a new law approved this spring by the Florida legislature. As lawmakers were cutting funds for school programs, they found time to pass what’s widely known as the “droopy drawers” law. That law made schools safe from students wearing sagging pants that show their underwear, an urban fashion trend that riled legislators enough put kids’ pants into the Florida Statutes.
But in adjusting policy to include the law, school board members went a step further. According to the Lake County Schools website, students will be banned from using “extreme” hair styles, including bangs in some cases, “unnatural” hair colors, and extreme makeup that is, “disruptive or does not allow direct eye contact”.

The code also sets rules for, “hemlines for dresses, skorts, skirts, and/or shorts”, which can be no more than 2 inches above the knee.
The dress code even provides instructions on how to use clothing, telling students, “Clothes shall be worn as designed while on the grounds of a public school during the regular school day.”
School officials told reporters they needed to act because “extreme” styles can be “dangerous”, saying it comes down a “safety thing.”
The policy doesn’t really say what’s unnatural or extreme, and leaves it up to the school principal to make the call or assign someone as the school’s clothing cop. Students who don’t get the message could face escalating punishment up to a 30 day ban on taking part in extra-curricular activities.
Students upset with the changes will get one last chance to complain. The school board will take a final vote on the new policy August 22nd, the same day it’s supposed to take effect.

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Thoughts on this? My oldest goes to a DE public high school that enforces a strict dress code. I like it, because it makes things simple and my son really doesn't care one way or the other. I'm not sure how I feel about the state passing a law on it, though. Is this something that really needs to be legislated for all public schools? Like I said - I actually prefer the dress code, so I'm not against schools enforcing them if that's their policy.

[Robb]

Vitamin C is very upset about the "no orange hair" rule! Isn't Florida the Orange State after all???

[Josef]

What exactly is "extreme makeup?"

But back to the dress codes, I think it should be up to the school, not the government. That said, I went to a Catholic High School and we had a strict uniform dress code. I think it helps out when you have one of those, because everybody basically wears the same thing and there is no "competition" (if that's the right word) for people to wear cool clothes, or not wear "uncool" clothes. Everybody dresses the same basically. Leave your individuality to after school.

Plus, I didn't really have a problem with the girls wearing plaid skirts

[daveindelaware]

The school should decide on the dress code, not the government. Government is already too far into our everyday lives for comfort.

If we let them dictate dress codes for schools, then what's next? churches, baseball games, going to parks, your own home....

[childOfLacroix]

I agree the school should decide on the dress code.

I personally don't like the idea of uniforms, except perhaps in the younger grades. I think middle and high-schoolers should, instead, be made to dress like ladies and gentlemen -- dress slacks, shirts and ties for the boys; dresses or skirts/slacks with nice tops for girls. Maybe throw in a "casual day" every now and then. In other words, have them dress and groom themselves the way most of them will need to when they enter the work world.

[daveindelaware]

Nah, that's a bit much, needing to wear a tie and dress shoes when in high school? No thanks. I wouldn't wish that on any kid.

I friggin HATE wearing a noose around my neck (er, I mean a tie). That's the DUMBEST invention I've ever seen, and it's not comfortable at all, and it doesn't make anyone look "smarter" (actually, just the opposite IMHO).

Dress codes can be relaxed and still be "controlled" and non-disruptive.

I think the comfort level of the children is more important than them all dressing alike.

[hockey]

Maybe the school (principals and officials) are afraid to implement this for fear of retaliation and losing control of the school. If the state gets involved then the schools have the support of the law.

Normally, I agree with you Daveindelaware.... the gov't can back off most of the time and leave it local but in this case it looks like a really bad area. Schools just don't have the power over kids anymore. Kids know their rights and they know they can't be touched and they have no fear and would probably welcome an explosion so they have a legit reason to be out of school. FL schools are not doing good and if this helps, it'd be hard to argue.

I am all for dress code as well but I'm against uniforms. Dress codes are usually reasonable.

So..... those of you with kids..... what are their schools' dress code/uniform policies? Is it district wide or is it up to each principal? If there is a uniform policy, do you pay out of pocket? Are there options to uniforms like any tie for boys or a skirt OR pants for girls?

Just curious.

[terri]

P is in middle school (I mistyped high school earlier. God knows I'm not ready for him to be in high school!) and he is required to wear khakis (non-cargo style) and polo shirts. The polo shirts can be long or short sleeved and can only be one of three colors and can only have 2 or 3 buttons. If there's a 4th button, it has to be removed and the hole sewed shut. (I have no idea why.)

They sell uniforms at the school, but it isn't mandatory you buy them there. The only mandatory uniform that must be purchased directly from the school are PE uniforms.

Generally, we get all our uniforms from Old Navy. Reinforced knees, ftw.

This is in Red Clay, btw. Not all Red Clay schools have uniforms. J is in Elementary school and I have no idea what his dress code even says, as it's never been an issue. He just wears normal street clothes.

[motherof3]

My youngest two will have to wear uniforms this year. All Christina middle schools are going to mandatory uniforms. Each school is different though. My girls went to Kirk the first 2 years they did uniforms, it was one of the first in our district. What pissed me off was it wasn't enforced, at all. So I'd be arguing with my girls on what the uniform code is, and they would try the "but so and so wears it!" My reply was always "so and so isn't my kid, you are. I know the uniforms code and you will abide by it because you are my kid. Period. End of discussion." But it was almost a daily argument, over stupid crap too like earing's or wearing slippers! And sure enough we'd pull up to drop them off and half the kids were breaking some form of the uniform code! Drove me nuts. Last year I choiced them to another middle school. Now we'll be back to uniforms again. We'll see how it's dealt with in the new middle school. And out of all 3 middle schools around us the one my kids go to has the most options for colors in pants and shirts. I just ordered a bunch of shirts for my son and he's happy because they are colors he likes, red, and two different blues. It just makes me mad too because the school tries to tell the parents that uniforms will save money.....um no, no it won't. Because now I have to not only buy school clothes (uniforms) but "play" clothes for them to wear when they get home. None of my kids will stay in that uniform after school. That I know. I'm not a fan of school uniforms, but now that it is mandatory my kids will comply. And the school doesn't supply them either. I usually get mine from JCPenny's.

[Chase]

My kids go to catholic school, uniforms it is.
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