Panel makes changes in Cape school dress code proposal

Making some concessions, the dress code committee of the Cape Girardeau School District presented a revised uniform policy proposal to the school board Thursday night during a special work session.

First in the cut went a requirement that collared shirts be only four colors: orange, black, gray or white. Any color would be accepted with the new policy. Shirts would also not need to be tucked in, as long as they were of a proper length and fit. The committee defines excessive length as a shirt longer than the wrists when the hands are at the sides. A T-shirt could be worn under a pullover or zippered jacket. A vest, any type of sweater or sweatshirt would still need to have a collared shirt underneath. The committee added a requirement that shirts and pants would need to overlap at all times.

Jeans would still be outlawed with the exception of school-designated "spirit days."

School board members questioned the committee at length on the decision to not change the policy to allow denim.

Central Junior High School principal and committee chairwoman Carla Fee said the board unanimously agreed not to allow denim because there are too many varieties students might wear that would not be appropriate.

"We felt that it would be very, very difficult to enforce a policy of modesty and professionalism, which is what we are striving for, if we allowed jeans every day," Fee said.

Changes made to requirements for bottoms included no longer requiring pants to be flat-fronted or pleated, and navy would be allowed in addition to khaki and black. The committee also removed a requirement that belts must match the color of the shirt worn and be solid in color.

Several other changes were made to wording throughout the policy, which superintendent Dr. Jim Welker said were due to suggestions made by the Missouri School Board Association after reviewing the policy.

Board member Paul Nenninger asked committee members whether they thought they would see different results in the time spent enforcing the rules if new dress rules were put in place.

"To us, this is so much simpler to enforce," said Nancy Scheller, committee member and assistant principal at the high school, referring to the proposed policy. "It's easy to see when students walk in if there is a problem."

Dana Kuttenkuler, committee member and staff at the alternative school, said violations of the policy would be much more obvious and dealing with violations would be less subjective for teachers.

Male teachers having to deal with female students' dress code violations emerged as a topic related to the debate over the proposed policy during the second public forum held this week. Committee members say it can be difficult for male teachers and other staff to point out dress code violations with policies in place now.

"I deal with every female dress issue at the high school," Scheller said. "We've dealt with accusations that 'he is just picking on me, he is just looking at me.'"

The committee says that difficulty would be lessened under the proposed policy.

Board member Phil Moore asked the committee whether problems could be addressed with some changes to current policies.

Administrators have already adjusted policies in buildings over the years to try for better enforcement, committee members say. The committee holds that the policy would allow for fewer student distractions, resulting in more time focused on instruction.

"The more we can do to preserve teaching time and learning time, that is what we are after," Dr. Sydney Herbst, principal of Clippard Elementary and a committee member, told the board.

Board member Tony Smee said he supports the positive change the committee is seeking but that reasonable changes need to be made to the dress code to get the support of the community and make the dress code affordable.

"This involves every family's pocketbook," he said. "This affects a whole lot of people at home before they even get to school."

The school board set a tentative date of Feb. 27 for a vote on a uniform policy. If approved by the board, the policy would take effect at the start of the 2012-2013 school year.

eragan@semissourian.com

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