Dress Codes

DRESS AND GROOMING

 The district’s dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, prevent disruption, and minimize safety hazards. Students and parents may determine a student’s personal dress and grooming standards, provided that they comply with the following: Clothes (shirts, caps, pants, buttons, etc.) advertising or displaying drugs, suicide, alcohol, skulls, death, knives, chains, guns or obscene or questionable printing are not conducive to an educational climate and shall not be worn to school or to school sponsored activities. No dark imagery will be allowed, i.e. skulls, death images, ghosts, daggers, Satanic, etc. All students must be well groomed: hair and dress wear for both boys and girls are to be conservative and conventional in style. Hair may be reasonably full in style and must reasonably blend in length, be neat, clean, and well groomed. Extreme hair styles/colors and dress wear will not be allowed. Grooming should be confined to bathrooms. It is the responsibility of the parents and students to comply with school regulations concerning dress and grooming standards. Administration will make the final decision on dress code.

DRESS Code for All Students

Here are some guide lines that apply to all students: 
• Clothes should have proper fit. 
• Pants must be hemmed and must not drag on the floor nor be torn. Pant must fit at the waist. If pants are not secured, students must use a belt. 
• Oversize or torn clothing will not be allowed. 
• Hair should be conservative in style. No heavy spiked hair, over one inch will be allowed. Extreme styles that include shaved, bushy, cut designs, stripes, shaved eyebrows, or tails will not be allowed. Other hairstyles: (Mohawk, faux-hawk, etc.) will not be allowed. Administrative decision is final. 
• Shirts must be buttoned properly. 
• Shirts that extend to the bottom of back pocket must be tucked in. 30
• Shorts must be hemmed (no fraying) and pockets. Jams, coaching shorts, bermuda shorts, beachwear, biker shorts, or any shorts made of spandex (stretch) material may not be worn to class. Shorts should be no more than 2 inches above the knee. 
• Walking shorts must be reasonable and prudent in appearance. 
• Hats/caps are not allowed inside the building (a fundraiser exception may be allowed with administrative approval). When used outside, hats and caps must be properly worn. 
• “Hoodies” or jackets, shirts, or sweaters that have a hood can be used but the ‘hood” component shall not be worn while the student is inside any building on campus. 
• Heavy chains or large necklaces may not be worn. 
• Wallets with chains are not to be brought to school. 
• No headbands or bandannas may be worn. 
• Sunglasses are not permitted during the instructional day (a fundraiser exception may be allowed with administrative approval.

DRESS CODE FOR BOYS

 
• No heavy spiked hair over one inch will be allowed. Extreme styles that include shaved, bushy, cut designs, stripes, or tails will not be allowed. Other hairstyles (Mohawk, fauxhawk, etc.) and color which may cause teachers and students to be distracted from regular class routine will not be allowed. Administrative decision is final. 
• Sideburns may not be longer than the bottom of the ear lobe and thinned and trimmed and also may not be cut higher than the top of the ear. 
• Boys’ hair may not extend past the top of the collar at the back and extend past the mid ear. It must be tapered at the back and must not be longer than the top and must not extend past the top of the eyebrows. 
• Beards and goatees are not permitted. 
• Mustaches must be trimmed and may not exceed below the corner of the mouth. 
• Shirts must be buttoned properly and those shirts made to be worn inside trousers must be tucked in. 
• No earrings may be worn.

DRESS CODE FOR GIRLS

 
• Cosmetics must be used with discretion. 
• Low necklines on blouses, dresses, and sweaters are not permitted. 
• No thin t-shirts or see-through blouses may be worn. 
• No midriff blouses are allowed. 
• Blouses and slacks must meet the waist or past the pant waistband. 
• Blouses must be one inch over pant, when sitting. 
• Shirt/Skorts and dress lengths must be reasonable and prudent (no fraying), 2 inches above the knee is a typical appropriate length. Administrative judgment and decision will be final. 
• Slacks should be worn in good taste and be neat in appearance. 
• Laced hose, leggings, or other similar undergarments must be covered by acceptable school wear,(EX: skirt/dress of acceptable length).

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS MAY PROHIBIT THE WEARING OF ANY ADDITIONAL ITEM OF CLOTHING, ACCESSORY THAT POSSESSES ANY ADDITIONAL ITEM CONSIDERED INAPPROPRIATE OR UNSAFE AT SCHOOL.

 Students who fail to abide by the Dress Code listed above will be directed to comply accordingly. The continued violation of the dress code may result in additional placements in ISS, suspension from school pending a parent conference.

NOTE: Any attire not covered in the school guideline that is deemed distracting, lewd, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate by school administrators will not be allowed.

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. If not corrected, the student will be assigned to in-school suspension for the remainder of the day, until the problem is corrected, or until a parent or designee brings an acceptable change of clothing to the school. Repeated offenses may result in more serious disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

 Appearance affects the way in which students respond to each other, to staff, to their own success and to the learning atmosphere of the school. The purpose of the dress code is to:

 
• Reflect the standards of the Santa Maria I.S.D. Community. 
• Create an atmosphere of respect for authority, safety, and good personal hygiene/grooming. 
• Assist students in developing the life skill of grooming for employability. 
• Reflect pride in self and school.