Mechanicsburg Exempted Village School District
Bylaws & Policies
 

5511 - DRESS AND GROOMING

As society’s norms for dress and grooming change, it is helpful for students and parents to have some guidelines concerning school policy on controversial questions relating to student dress and grooming.   It is impossible to list all of the styles, which might be considered appropriate for school.  Likewise, it is impossible to anticipate questions involving dress and grooming which may arise in the future.

These guidelines are given to Mechanicsburg Schools students to assist them in selecting clothing and grooming practices, which will serve as an indication of their pride in themselves and in their school.

The following statements are intended to provide minimal guidelines for a standard of student dress.  The major responsibility for meeting these standards may be established by the home.  Failure to comply with these standards may result in the student being sent home from school.

 A.School clothing should be neat, clean, properly fitted in styles appropriate for school and community.
 B.Clothing with profane, suggestive, or questionable pictures and/or lettering is prohibited.
 C.Clothing, such as shirts and blouses, should be worn as designed & should not display cleavage.
 D.While on field trips, the teacher/s in charge will determine the mode of dress.
 E.Shorts are permitted as long as they are of reasonable length and appearance (i.e. no short shorts and cut offs are not permitted unless rolled up)
 F.Students in grades 7-12 (six-twelve) will not be permitted to wear clothes worn for physical education class throughout the rest of the school day.
 G.Hair should be clean and well groomed at all times and extreme styles will not be allowed where it is a health or safety hazard.   Coaches may set more stringent regulations for hair.
 H.Beards, goatees, and mustaches must be neatly trimmed.
 I.Appropriate clothing is an expectation for each student.  Clothing is deemed appropriate for both boys and girls using the standard that if a piece of clothing is inappropriate for either sex, it is also inappropriate for the other sex to wear. Following are examples of clothing that would be considered inappropriate:
  1.Body shirts or muscle shirts
  2.Short shorts
  3.See-through blouses
  4.Tops that expose the stomach
  5.Halter tops
  6.Any garment that could result in indecent exposure including exposed cleavage
  7.Any piece of clothing where stomachs or under garments are exposed, including pants not pulled up.
  8.Tops, dresses, etc. with thin straps or without backs.
 J.Shoes or sandals must be worn at all times.
 K.Students should make every attempt to be clean and well groomed at all times.  Attempts by students to call undue attention to themselves by unusual, bizarre or revealing dress as mentioned above will not be permitted. (For example: Pants with holes above the knees, T-shirts worn inside out or gym clothes worn in the halls or in areas other than the Physical Education Department.)
 L.No gang related dress (bandannas, colors, etc.) for hair.

 M.Hats are not allowed to be worn in the school building except on special days approved by the building principal.
 N.Items such as dog chokers, dangling chains, jewelry with sharp points (i.e. studded collars and bracelets) are prohibited.
 O.Exposed body piercing other than earrings will not be permitted; this would include tongue piercings or any other piercings visible to others.

 P.Wearing of coats is not permitted unless approved by the building principal due to temperature problems in the building.  A coat is anything considered outerwear.  If questions arise, the building principal will make the final determination about what is or isn’t a coat.
 Q.Book bags, tote bags, and duffel bags are only to be carried to and from school.  They are not permitted to be taken to class or library.

Students who violate the foregoing guidelines will not be admitted to class and may be suspended from school. The building principal shall serve as the arbiter of student dress and grooming in his/her building.

Adopted 8/17/09