District Policies (Dress Code)
Dress Code
Paso Robles Joint Unified School District has a uniform dress code policy in all its schools. The standardized dress code reflects the need for consistent dress standards at all schools within PRJUSD. The intent behind the dress code is for increased student safety and behavior related to attire.
If you have any questions regarding this policy or the dress standards within the policy, please direct them to your school's principal/assistant principal, or Thomas Harrington, Director, Student Services at 805.769.1000 x30141 / [email protected].
PRJUSD believes that appropriate dress and grooming contribute to a productive learning environment. The school expects students to give proper attention to personal cleanliness and wear clothes that are suitable for the school activities in which they participate. Student dress must promote a healthy, safe, wholesome environment and not cause a distraction that would interfere with the educational process.
Although most students do not intend to communicate a connection with outside groups when choosing their attire, they do present dual meanings and could potentially create discipline issues for themselves and our school.
The administration will make the final determination of whether a student’s dress and grooming meet district standards.
In accordance with California Administrative Code, title V, Section 302: “Any person who comes to school without proper attention having been given to personal cleanliness or neatness of dress may be sent home to be properly prepared for school, or shall be required to prepare himself for the school room before entering.”
Therefore, the following guidelines shall apply to all school activities:
General Guidelines:
- All clothing must be suitable for school: neat, clean, size appropriate (no oversized or undersized clothing) and in good repair. Any clothing that is a distraction to the learning process is prohibited. All clothing will be worn as its design was intended.
- Clothing and jewelry shall be free of writing, pictures, and/or any insignia that: (1) are crude, vulgar, violent, profane, prejudicial, racial, associated with any hate group, or sexually suggestive; (2) advocate or reference the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or weapons (for example, marijuana leaves, beer advertisements, cigarettes/cigars, or firearms); (3) may associate them with any law enforcement and/or security agency; (4) by the manner of being worn indicate an affiliation with a group or gang that may provoke violence or cause others to be intimidated. The writing, pictures, and/or insignia might include, but are not limited to, Old English lettering; depictions of prisons or prison symbolism; partially clothed figures; gang symbols or colors; weapons; promotion of one race over other races.
- Students will not wear any attire, jewelry, or clothing that includes geographical and/or numerical references or affiliation with gangs.
- Students will not wear any color or combination of colors or items which support their affiliation with a known group or gang. If a student or group of students is using colors or items to demonstrate group or gang affiliation, such colors or items may be banned for that student or group.
- Students will not wear any clothing, hat, cap, or other article displaying a gang term associated with any ethnicity (such as – brown pride, black power, Aryan nation, etc).
- Gang indicators shall not be displayed on backpacks, purses, books, book covers, binders, papers, or other articles worn, carried, or otherwise possessed by any student. Gang Indicia (indicators) is any photograph, picture, drawing, patch, sticker, written symbol or word, or any other item depicting association with a gang.
Head covering:
- Hats, beanies, caps, and hoods of sweatshirts are not to be worn inside classrooms or school buildings.
- Students shall not wear any mask, face paint, or item which would prevent a student or staff member from identifying the student by face recognition.
- Students may not possess or wear any type of bandana or hair net.
Skin:
- Marking one’s own, or someone else’s, body or clothing with pens and markers is not permitted. Students will be required to wash off all such marks.
- Elementary Schools: Make-up, acrylic nails (press-on) and rub-on tattoos are not appropriate.
Shirts/Blouses/Dresses :
- Dresses and/or shirts must have straps over each shoulder that connect front to back. The neckline must maintain privacy.
- All clothing must be sufficient to conceal undergarments. Straps (on a tank top, for example) must be at least one (1) inch wide to cover any undergarments. See-through or fishnet fabrics, halter tops, tube tops, off-the-shoulder tops, low cut tops, and bare midriffs are prohibited.
- “A-style” shirts are prohibited.
- A top is too short if the bare midriff or the small of the back is exposed when a student raises her/his arms above the head; when the student is leaning over; or when the student is sitting down.
- No tank tops or muscle shirts with excessive arm holes.
Pants/Skirts/Shorts:
- Pants/skirts are not to be worn below the waist line (sagging) and must be sufficient to conceal undergarments. All pants must be appropriately sized and fit at the waist. The length of the belt should be appropriate for waist size. Pants are too loose if they fall while the student walks with her/his arms out to the side. Pants that must be held up with one or both hands are not acceptable.
- Skirts, dresses, and shorts must be no shorter than the level where the student’s closed fist strikes the thigh when standing with arms straight down at the side and with shoulders relaxed.
Footwear/Shoes:
- Shoes must be worn at all times.
- Grades K-8: No Flip-Flops
- Elementary Schools: No shoes with heels, or wheely shoes. Shoes should be appropriate for P.E.
Consequences:
- Violation of the dress code may result in a discipline referral and confiscation of the item.
- Students will be required to change into loaned clothing items or a PE uniform if the offending clothing article cannot be rectified by any other method.
- Subsequent infractions may result in a parents' conference and be subject to progressive discipline.
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