EXCERPT OF THE TISD STUDENT HANDBOOK
DRESS CODE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Dress and Grooming (All Grade Levels)
The district’s dress code is established to create and maintain a respectful and positive learning environment, to prevent disruption, minimize health and safety hazards, and teach students grooming and hygiene standards.
A student’s dress and grooming should be clean, neat and in good taste at all times. A student’s appearance shall not create a distraction from nor interfere with the normal orderly process of the instructional program or of the management of any school program.
If a student fails to comply with the dress code, the principal will request that the student make the appropriate corrections. This may include changing into clothing provided by the school. If the student refuses to make the appropriate corrections, the student’s parent/guardian will be contacted for assistance in making the necessary corrections. If both the student and the parent refuse, the student will be assigned to in-school suspension (ISS) for the remainder of the day or until the problem is corrected. Students refusing to comply may be subject to unexcused absence. Repeated violations of the dress code will result in more serious disciplinary action. In all cases, appropriate disciplinary action will be administered in compliance with the Student Code of Conduct.
Requirements:
● Hair
○ Shall be neat, clean, and well groomed.
○ Must not obstruct the student’s vision or a view of the student’s face. ○ All hair colors shall be natural hair colors. Students will not be able to spray paint or dye their hair green, blue, purple, pink, or any other unnatural tines.
○ Mustaches and beards will be kept neatly trimmed, clean and will not be excessive in nature.
● Apparel
○ All apparel, accessories shall not advertise, condone, depict, or promote the use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, suicide, death, racism, vigotry, violance, gang topics, the occult. vulgar obscene language and/or topics that are gang-related or sexual in nature.
○ Wearing either gang apparel or wearing clothing in a gang-style as identified by law enforcement agencies is prohibited.
○ Sheer clothing, see through, or fishnet is prohibited unless non-revealing clothing meeting dress code is worn underneath.
● Shirts and blouses must be buttoned appropriately and include the following: ○ The midriff must be covered at all times, including when arms are raised over the student’s head and when the student is seated.
○ Spaghetti straps, tank tops, halter tops are prohibited unless layered over an appropriate shirt or blouse.
○ Undergarments should not be visible anywhere, including the armholes. ○ Necklines must not be low or revealing. The back of the shirts and dress tops will be no lower than the top of the armpits.
● Pants/Dresses, Shirts and shorts must fit over the hips. Sagging or bagging of pants or shorts shall not be permitted. Rolled waist bands are not permitted if rolling to cause the midriff to be uncovered.
○ Frayed, threadbare jeans or holes in the pants will not expose bare skin above the knee.
○ Tights or yoga pants may be worn, but a shirt/dress must be worn and the length must come to the tips of the fingers when arms are at the side.
○ Dresses and Skirts must allow students to be able to stand, sit, and/or bend with modesty. Must come to the tips of the fingers when arms are at the side.
○ Shorts must come to the tips of the fingers when arms are at the side. ○ Shorts must be of non-revealing fabric or style. Spandex or yoga type shorts and boxer shorts are not allowed.
● Footwear
○ For health and safety, shoes must be worn at all times.
○ Shoes with wheels and large, bulky or animal-shaped shoes or house shoes are prohibited.
○ Properly fitted tennis shoes (with an enclosed back) are required for physical education classes.
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Jewelry, Accessories and Make-up
● Piercings of the tongue, lips, and/or eyebrows are prohibited. Gauging of the ears, nose, or lips are prohibited.
● Tattoos that are lewd, vulgar, gang related, or depict profanity or prohibited items (i.e. alcohol, drugs, or tobacco products) must be covered at all times while in the classroom, on school grounds or at school sponsored activities and events.
● Chains, including wallet chains, are prohibited.
● Spiked jewelry or jewelry that is noisy, causes a distraction, or that could be dangerous to the student or other individuals is prohibited (i.e. necklaces made out of safety pins and chain links.)
● Contacts that are an unnatural eye color (i.e. purple), “wild eye” contacts, or contacts that alter the normal shape and look of the pupil are prohibited.
● Sunglasses or other eyewear that is not for medical reason is prohibited from being worn inside school buildings
● Hat, caps, sweatbands, visors, hoods, or other head coverings may not be worn in the school building except on approved days.
● Long overcoats or trench coats are prohibited.
● Blankets are prohibited
● Pajamas may not be worn at school except on approved occasions.
Extracurricular Activities: Extracurricular programs may have additional requirements or guidelines for students participating in those programs.
Additional Information:
Medical conditions, supported by documentation from a physician, or certain recognized religious beliefs may qualify for an exception to certain provisions of the dress code. However, any exceptions must receive prior approval by the campus administrator.
Grooming and dress for special activities and extracurricular activities are under the direction of the principal (i.e. Prom, Homecoming, Graduation, field trips, “hat” day, etc.).
The dress code provides requirements regarding common situations but cannot cover every style of dress and specific situations that may arise. The District reserves the right to prohibit any clothing or grooming style that the administration determines to be reasonably expected to pose a health or safety hazard or to cause substantial disruption of, distraction from, or interference with general school operations.
The district’s dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, prevent disruption, and minimize safety hazards.
If the principal determines that a student’s grooming or clothing violates the school’s dress code, the student will be given an opportunity to correct the problem at school and return to the classroom. If the problem cannot be corrected at school, the principal will work with the student and parent to obtain an acceptable change of clothing for the student in a way that minimizes loss of instructional time. If not corrected, the student may be assigned to in-school suspension for the remainder of the day.
Repeated or severe offenses may result in more serious disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.
Electronic Devices and Technology Resources (All Grade Levels)
Possession and Use of Personal Telecommunications Devices, Including Cell Phones, and Other Electronic Devices
The district permits students to possess personal cell phones for safety purposes; however, these devices must remain turned off during the instructional day, including during all testing, unless they are being used for approved instructional purposes. [See Textbooks, Electronic Textbooks, Technological Equipment, and Other Instructional Materials on page 91 for graphing calculator applications on computing devices.]
A student must have approval to possess other personal telecommunications devices on campus such as laptops, tablets, or other portable computers. Without such permission, teachers will collect the items and turn them in to the principal’s office. The principal will determine whether to return items to students at the end of the day or to contact parents to pick up the items.
The use of cell phones or any device capable of capturing images is strictly prohibited in locker rooms or restroom areas while at school or at a school-related or school-sponsored event.
If a student uses a telecommunications device without authorization during the school day, the device will be confiscated. The student/parent may pick up the confiscated telecommunications device from the principal’s office for a fee of $15.
● Cell phones must be turned off on campus during the school day. Please turn off your phone and place it in your backpack. Cell phones should not be carried on their person. You can bring it to the office until the end of the day if you choose.
● The school day includes, but is not limited to, before or after school, class time, passing periods, lunch periods, after school detentions, or tutorials, during emergency drills, practices for extracurricular events and contests and field trips.
● Placing a cell phone on vibrate or texting is not considered off and is prohibited. ● Using a cell phone to record or video is prohibited.
Confiscated telecommunications devices that are not retrieved by the student or the student’s parent will be disposed of after the notice required by law. [See policy FNCE for more information.]
In limited circumstances and in accordance with law, a student’s personal telecommunications device may be searched by authorized personnel. [See Searches on page and policy FNF for more information.]
Any disciplinary action will be in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. The district is not responsible for damaged, lost, or stolen telecommunications devices.