Parents, community members discuss enforcement of current dress code at Cape schools

Cape Girardeau parents and community members are forming a committee to look at the issue of dress in public schools.

The group's leader, Eric Redinger, said they would like to be known as the dress code enforcement committee and would like to see minimum standards for dress created and implemented for the district's students as opposed to a strict dress code or uniform policy.

The group held its first meeting Tuesday night at the Cape Girardeau Public Library and discussed creating a proposal to present to the Cape Girardeau School Board, which will vote Feb. 27 on a uniform policy proposed by a staff dress code committee.

Redinger outlined the details of a dress code he said could be easily applied to all students.

The dress code would include the use of the students' bodies or actual measurements to show proper fit of clothing on students, he said. The width of a student's two fingers could be used to measure areas of skin showing on the student and would be proportionate, Redinger said. Requirements for length of shirts could be included, which would be measured based on the length of a student's arms, he said. Additional requirements could be made for inseams, footwear, wording or graphics on clothing and undergarments.

Redinger brought with him a graphic taken from another school's dress code that gave minimum coverage requirements for the upper torso, lower torso and feet, along with additional guidelines covering prohibited clothing, jewelry and exceptions for physical education or school activities.

"A school could put that in their handbook and there would be no question," said Susie Taylor, a parent of two students in the district.

Redinger said the group wants to create an enforceable dress code that uses clothing families already own.

"This does not alienate students and parents," he said, "and it does not reduce freedom of choice and self-expression."

Brandy Guinter, a junior at Cape Girardeau Central High School who attended the meeting, said she hears students talk mostly about their concerns that they could be uncomfortable in clothing that would be required under the staff dress code committee's proposal.

The committee will work on their proposal via email and approach the school board for a time to present the proposal before the board's vote, Redinger said. The group is still open to new members, he said, and may have another physical meeting soon. Twelve people attended Tuesday's meeting.

The group's effort to present another angle on a dress code change in Cape Girardeau public schools began through a Facebook group, "Parents who want a voice regarding the Uniform Policy in CGPS," which was created by Redinger's wife, Jennifer.

The proposal created by the staff dress code committee would require students to wear a short- or long-sleeved collared shirt in any color that met a certain length requirement and khaki, black or navy pants, capris, shorts, skirts, skorts or jumpers that met a certain length requirement. T-shirts would be allowed under pullovers or zippered jackets. Belts would be required for fifth grade and up, and shirts would not need to be tucked in. Jeans would be allowed on school-designated "Spirit Days."

The school district administration will make a final recommendation on the proposal to the school board before a vote. School board members may amend the policy before a vote is taken.

eragan@semissourian.com

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