Washoe Country School District

Student Dress Code

The Washoe County School District adopted a new dress code for middle and high school students in the Fall semester of 2005. The guidelines were established in a fair and realistic way regarding what is and is not appropriate attire for school.

As specified in the WCSD administrative regulations, "the dress or grooming of all students must not present potential health or safety problems or cause distractions."

The requirements are in no way an attempt to silence free expression but to create a productive, uninterrupted, and safe learning environment. It is the District's hope that this code will help its students in preparing for the real world of work and to assist parents when they purchase school-year wardrobes.

________________________________________________________________

For a copy of the Student Dress Code in Spanish, click here.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader software to download and view the dress code in Spanish.If you don't have the plug-in, you can download it for FREE by clicking here. 

________________________________________________________________

Specific prohibitions and limitations include (but are not limited to) the following:

Condition and Wear of Clothing

• Nothing that distracts or poses a safety hazard
• No holes, rips, or tears that reveal the body
• No tight-fitting or revealing clothing

Safety

• No clothing that can pose a potential health or safety problem
• No gloves inside the building; no single glove at any time
• No jewelry or chains that can cause injuries
• No hanging chains
• No spiked or studded accessories

Tops/Skirts/Dresses

• Tops must cover the upper and middle torso at all times
• Skirts must cover the lower torso with no skin showing between top and skirt
• Skirts and dresses must be at least mid-thigh in length; no mini-skirts
• No exposed undergarments
• No halter, tank or tube tops; no transparent, half, or muscle shirts
• No exposed shoulders
• No low cut necklines, exposed cleavage, or spaghetti straps
• No pajamas, lounge wear, or bath robes
• Inappropriate tops may not be covered with sheer shirts, sweatshirts or jackets

Pants/Shorts

• Must cover lower torso with no skin showing between top and pants/shorts
• No exposed undergarments
• No sagging pants or shorts
• No single rolled up pant leg
• No exposed buttocks
• Belt buckle monograms must be appropriate
• No hanging or extended belt lengths
• No unfastened overalls
• No cut-offs
• Shorts must be hemmed and at least mid-thigh in length
• No mini-shorts; no spandex shorts

Head Coverings

• No head coverings or sunglasses worn in the building during school hours (exceptions are made for religious or medical reasons)
• No bandanas (all colors), do-rags (all colors), hairnets, surgical/shower caps, or hair picks at any time on campus or at any school-sponsored event

Footwear

• Proper footwear at all times
• No house slippers

Language/Illustrations on Clothing

• No obscene, vulgar, profane, or derogatory language or illustrations on clothing
• No sexual overtones, or anything that promotes alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gang membership, or violence
• Nothing that may be deemed a safety issue

Gang Attire

All items that have been identified as gang-related by local law enforcement agencies and WCSD school police are prohibited. These may include but are not limited to:

• No dangling belts
• No chains
• No unfastened overalls
• No sagging pants/shorts
• No single rolled up pant leg
• No hairnets, bandanas, or do-rags (all colors)
• No blue and/or red shoelaces on footwear at any time; other colors may be deemed inappropriate as necessary to protect student safety on campus
• No altered insignias or graffiti
• No jewelry or belt buckles symbolizing any gangs
• No graffiti in or on personal belongings symbolizing any identified gang

Consequences

At the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year if a student violates the dress code s/he will be given a warning by school staff. School staff will notify school administrators with the student's name. School administrators will notify parent/legal guardian of the warning. The student must correct the clothing violation at that time, prior to returning to his/her class schedule. Refusal to change clothes will constitute insubordination. After the first five school days of the 2005-2006 school year, the warning system will be terminated and the following sequential and progressive discipline plan will be followed:

First Offense

• Parent notified
• Student must change clothing violation
• Student assigned detention
• Student warned of consequences for second violation
• Consequence/conference entered in student discipline documentation

Second Offense

• Parent notified
• Student must change clothing violation
• In-school suspension, Saturday school, work crew, or multiple detentions assigned, depending on the consequence available at school site
• Student warned of consequence for third offense
• Consequence/conference entered in student discipline documentation

Third Offense

• Parent notified
• Student must change clothing violation
• Out-of-school suspension assigned
• Warned that any further violations will result in multiple days of suspension
• Consequence/conference entered in student discipline documentation

For more information, please call 348-0375.

District