Student Dress Guidelines
Texarkana Independent School District’s Student Dress Guidelines are established to teach grooming and hygiene, to instill discipline, to prevent disruption, to avoid safety hazards and to teach respect for authority. Cleanliness, neatness, appropriateness, modesty and effect on the learning environment are the criteria that should dictate the student’s choice of school dress and grooming on any given day. A student is not appropriately dressed if he/she is a disturbing influence in class or school because of his/her selected choice of dress. No attempt will be made to dictate fashion style as long as they are in keeping with school District guidelines and/or policies. Students and their Parents/Guardians are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that modesty, appropriateness and neatness of dress are maintained.
Dress and Grooming
Cleanliness, neatness, appropriateness, modesty, and effect on the learning environment are the criteria that should dictate the student’s choice of school dress and grooming on any given day. A student is not appropriately dressed if he/she is a disturbing influence in class or school because of his/her mode of dress. No attempt will be made to dictate fashion styles as long as they are in keeping with school District guidelines and/or policies. Students and their parents/guardians are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that modesty, appropriateness, and neatness of dress are maintained. If a student comes to school wearing clothes that violate the dress code or in any other way violate the dress and grooming standards, the student may be placed in in-school suspension until he/she is in compliance. The school will make efforts to notify the parent as soon as possible of this assignment. If the student comes into compliance with the dress and grooming standards, he/she will return to regular classes immediately.
In addition to the examples of unsuitable school dress and grooming listed below, the principal will make the final determination on any other clothing that is deemed inappropriate. Examples of unsuitable school dress and grooming include but are not limited to the following:
Tattoos and Piercings
- Jewelry requiring body piercing except
in the ears - Exposed obscene tattoos or body drawings
Hairstyles
- Any hairstyle that is not neat, clean, and
well-groomed - Any hairstyle or hair color that is distracting
- Hair combs or hair picks
Hats
- Headgear of any kind at any time in the buildings or hallways, including bandannas, head rags, headbands or towels of any type.
Shoes
- Lack of shoes
- House slippers
- Shoe skates
Shirts
- Spaghetti straps, tank/tube tops, halters, and midriff tops
- Shirts that exceed fingertip length when are by the side (shirts must be tucked in if they are below fingertip length)
Shorts/Pants
- Sagging pants of any kind (students must gave pants or shorts on hips at all times)
- Pants or shorts more than two sizes above the normal body size
- Pajama pants
- Spandex, body fitting, or tight shorts or pants, including yoga pants or fitness pants
- Short-shorts, including athletic shorts (must be finger-tip long or longer)
- Cut-offs
Dresses/Skirts
- Dresses or skirts shorter than finger-tip length
All Clothing Items
- Sunglasses
- Bandannas (may not be work, displayed, or carried)
- Clothing with slits or tears or pants with unpatched holes above finger-tip lenth
- Tight or revealing clothing
- See-through clothing
- Visible undergarments
- Dressing without appropriate undergarments
- Dance clothes or tights
- Any clothing that advertises or depicts tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other substance that students are prohibited from having or using at school
- Any clothing that is lewd, offensive, vulgar, or obscene
- Any clothing or grooming that depicts crime, violence, or gang association
- Any clothing that inappropriately exposes the body
- Any other clothing deemed inappropriate by the campus principal