‘Dignity, discretion’: Fort Mill school district approves updated student dress code
The Fort Mill school board has approved an updated student dress code following parent and student complaints.
Nearly 6,000 parents, students and community members signed a petition posted last fall to change.org that called for the Fort Mill school district to “create a fair and realistic dress code for students in Fort Mill public schools,” The Herald previously reported.
Their efforts started after Fort Mill resident Mindy Neal’s 13-year-old daughter Amaya Neal was pulled out of class multiple times during the first week of school for dress code violations, The Herald previously reported.
Parents and students attended a school board meeting in September 2019 wearing shirts with the words “I am not a distraction” in black and red ink.
The district presented changes to the policy during the Jan. 7 school board meeting. The school board heard requests for additional changes from board members and parents at that meeting.
Following the board meeting, the district sent a survey to parents asking for feedback, said Joe Burke, district spokesperson. On Tuesday, the school board approved the updated policy.
The policy now includes the statement: “dress code violations will be handled with dignity, discretion and respect toward all students by school staff members throughout the district.”
The policy also makes clear that dress code guidelines apply only during the regular school day. The policy also states “school administration reserves the right to permit exceptions to the policy for school-sanctioned events.”
Parents and students have said they were concerned regarding the rules related to tank tops. The policy now states that “tops with straps that are less than three-fingers wide of the student” are not allowed for all grades.
That means students will use their own three fingers to determine whether a top fits the dress code requirement, Antwon Sutton, executive director of student services, said Tuesday.
“No adult staff member in our building will put their fingers on a student,” he said.
Parents also have said they want their students returned to class if possible following a dress code violation.
The policy now states: “If violation can be resolved in a timely manner, student will remain/return to class without further disciplinary action. Following three unresolved offenses/violations, all subsequent violations will require parent conference and detention.”
Students may be sent to in-school suspension if their clothing promotes violence, profanity, nudity, hate language or anything that may disrupt the classroom, the policy states.
Faculty and staff will need to be trained on how to properly implement the dress code policy and handle violations, Sutton said.
A district statement reads: “The new dress code policy is designed to be gender neutral and will be implemented consistently in all schools. Dress code violations will be handled with dignity, discretion and respect toward all students by school staff members throughout the district.”
Typically, district policies approved by the school board take effect the following school year. However, administration has asked that the updated dress code policy be implemented before the area experiences warmer weather, Sutton said.
“We’ve received great feedback from parents and feel that we made additional reasonable and enforceable changes based on that feedback,” he said. “The training component is also something that will evolve over time but the conversation will start with a discussion with the school principals who will then meet with school staff members to ensure consistent enforcement.”
The updated dress code policy is available on the Fort Mill school district’s website.
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 1:13 PM.
