Dress Code
STUDENT APPEARANCE DRESS CODE
I. GENERAL STATEMENT
Responsibility for the dress and appearance of students enrolled in the School District of Volusia
County primarily rests with parents and the students. Some student apparel, however, may
not be appropriate to wear to school even though that same apparel may be appropriate to wear in
other settings. To assist parents and students in making appropriate fashion and grooming
decisions for school, the School Board has established the following minimal guidelines for the
appearance and dress of students.
The standards of appearance for students shall ensure that the students are clean, neat, and
properly dressed. They shall observe modes of dress and standards of personal grooming which are
appropriate for the academic environment.
It is the responsibiIity of the principal to see that the dress appearance of any student shall not
be extreme, to the point of creating a disturbance, or be hazardous to the student and/or others,
or school property, whether or not the specific case is covered by the information below. The
principal or principal's designee has the final authority for interpreting whether a student's
apparel/appearance conforms to the dress code.
II. GENERAL DRESS CODE REQUIREMENTS.
The following dress code applies to all students 1,vho are eKempt from the school uniform
requirement as set forth in this policy and to all students while attending school-sponsored
activities after the regular school day.
A. Unacceptable attire. A student may not wear clothing (including bandanas),jewelry
(including body piercing jewelry), buttons, haircuts, tattoos, or other attire or marking
which are offensive, suggestive, disruptive or indecent, such as:
1. clothing associated with gangs.
2. clothing encouraging or promoting the use of tobacco, drugs, alcohol or violence.
3. clothing associated with the discrimination on the basis of age, color,
handicap, national origin, marital status, race, religion or sex.
4. clothing exposing the torso or upper thighs, such as see-through garments, mini-skirts
or mini-dresses, halters, backless shirts or dresses, tube tops or tank tops without
over-blouses or shirts, spaghetti strap garments without over-blouses, bare midriff outfits,
or shirts or blouses tied at the midriff.
5. clothing not properly fastened or with tears.
6. clothing or outer garments traditionally designed as undergarments, such as boxer shorts,
underwear, tights, hosiery and sleepwear.
7. clothing or footwear that is construed by the principal, or designee, as
hazardous or dangerous to the health or safety of the student or others or which might
reasonably lead the principal or designee to forecast substantial disruption of, or material
interference with school activities.
B. General Dress Code Policy Requirements
1. Appropriate sizes - Garments must be ofa length and fit that are suitable to the build
and stature of the student.
2. Upper garments - Upper garments must be long enough to clearly overlap the beltline or
stay tucked in during the course ofnormal movement during the day.
3. Lower garments - Lower garments with visible belt loops shall be worn with a belt that
is properly fastened. Exceptions will be allowed for students in grades K - 5 and in individual
cases based upon the discretion of the principal or designee. The waistband ofpants, shorts or
skirts must be worn and secured betvveen the hips and the waist. Undergarments and the buttocks
must remain entirely covered even while seated. Jumpers, skirts and shorts must be at least
mid-thigh or below in length.
4. Head - No hats, caps, visors, hoods, bandanas, sunglasses or other head gear may be worn
on a school campus except with administrative permission (i.e. medical necessity, religious,
school related events).
5. Shoes/Footwear - All students shall wear shoes/footwear. Students must wear shoes that
are safe and appropriate for the learning environment. Students must wear athletic shoes in all
physical education classes. No flip flops shall be permitted to be worn on school campus.
6. Outerwear - Coats, jackets, sweaters and other appropriate outer garments when
necessary due to weather conditions. When outer garments with hood are worn, the hoods must be
removed from the head while in school buildings. The outer garments must be ofthe appropriate size
and shall not be overly baggy or violate any provisions of the dress code.
C. Violation of dress code requirements.
Violation of paragraph11 shall be deemed a Level I dress code violation as provided in Policy 208.
Legal Authority:
Sections 1001.41(I) 7 (2), I001.42(25), Florida Statutes
Laws Implemented:
Sections 1001.41(1), 1006.07, 1006.15, Florida Statutes
History:
(Adopted - June 28, 2011)
(Revised - May 8, 2012; March 29, 2016; February 28, 2017, October 9, 2018, July 22, 2019)
(Effective Date -July 22, 2019)