North East ISD’s Student Dress Code is designed to ensure consistency and uniform application of standards that are necessary to support the overall educational goals of the school. The student and parent or guardian may determine the student’s personal dress and grooming standards if they comply with the general guidelines outlined here and support the overall learning environment by emphasizing standards of neatness, cleanliness, and safety in dress and grooming. School staff shall enforce the Student Dress Code consistently with all students regardless of race, sex, gender, ethnicity, culture or religion, household income, body size/type, or body maturity.
Note: The Student Dress Code applies to all students while attending school, school functions, or school-sponsored activities on or off school property.
Exceptions to the Dress Code will be communicated through your school principal.
General Guidelines
1. Basic Principles:
· Certain body parts must be always covered for all students.
· Clothes must be worn in a way such that the abdomen, genitals, buttocks, breasts, and back are fully covered with opaque fabric.
· All items listed in the “must wear” and “may wear” categories below must meet these basic principles.
· North East ISD shall not discriminate on hair texture or protective hairstyles commonly or historically associated with race that includes protective hairstyles include braids, locks, and twists.
2. Students Must Wear (while following the basic principle of Section 1 above):
· A Shirt (with fabric that touches the waistband in the front, back, and on the sides under the arms), AND
· Pants/jeans or the equivalent (for example, a skirt, sweatpants, leggings, a dress or shorts), AND
· Shoes.
3. Students May Wear (if these items do not violate Section 1 above):
· Religious headwear
· Hoodie sweatshirts (wearing the hood over the head is not allowed)
· Fitted pants, including opaque leggings, yoga pants and “skinny jeans”
· Ripped jeans, if undergarment and buttocks are not exposed.
· Tank tops, tops with straps that cover undergarments
· Athletic attire
4. Students May Not Wear or Display Imagery of:
· Violent language or images.
· Images or language depicting drugs or alcohol (or any illegal item or activity), or any other substance prohibited under FNCF(LEGAL).
· Hate speech, profanity, pornography.
· Any clothing that reveals visible undergarments.
· Swimsuits (except as required in class, field trips, or athletic practice see “Extracurricular Activities”).
· Accessories that could be considered dangerous or could be used as a weapon.
· Any item that obscures the face or ears (except as a religious observance).
· Body piercing ornaments and other similar ornaments that present a safety concern for the student and the educational activity. (i.e. wearing protective clothing or athletic protective equipment).
· Hats, hoods on hooded sweatshirts, shirts or jackets may not be worn during instructional passing periods, or while inside the school building or facility.
· Costumes of any type are prohibited unless expressly approved by campus administration.
Extracurricular Activities
The principal, in cooperation with the sponsor, coach, or other person in charge of an extracurricular activity, may regulate the dress and grooming of students who participate in the activity. Students who violate dress and grooming standards established for such an activity may be removed or excluded from the activity for a period determined by the principal or sponsor and may be subject to other disciplinary action, as specified in the Student Code of Conduct.
Dress Code Enforcement
To ensure effective and equitable enforcement of this dress code, school staff shall enforce the dress code consistently using the requirements below.
School administration and staff shall not have the discretion to vary the requirements in ways that lead to discriminatory enforcement. Campuses may have a more restrictive dress code with approval from the Campus Improvement Committee and the Department of School Administration if a more restrictive policy aligns with the “Purpose” defined in the policy.
· Students will only be removed from spaces, hallways, or classrooms because of a dress code violation as outlined in Sections 1 and 4 above. Students in violation of Section 1 and/or 4 will be provided three (3) options to be dressed more to code during the school day:
o Students will be asked to put on their own alternative Student Dress Code-compliant clothing.
o Students will be provided with temporary school Student Dress Code-compliant clothing.
o If necessary, the student’s parent or guardian may provide Student Dress Code-compliant clothing.
To the extent possible, student violations of the Dress Code are to be addressed discretely and respectfully by all staff members.
The school principal will make the final determination as to the appropriateness of dress. Any student who chooses not to comply with the dress code will be removed from the classroom setting until the student complies with this code.
