Dress code comes up short, board says

The School Board adds some rules to keep underwear and shoulders under wraps this fall. Later, the district will do a more thorough fashion review.

By KELLY RYAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 14, 2000

LARGO -- Pinellas County school students showing off bra straps under tank tops or letting their boxers hang out of their shorts can dress as they like this summer.

But the party gets more formal in August.

On Tuesday, School Board members unanimously approved several dress code changes that district administrators hope will help them maintain decorum in classrooms. Several board members have said the new restrictions don't go far enough to control bare-all trends.

Additionally, this fall the district will do a top-to-bottom review of what kind of clothes are acceptable for students of all ages. Feedback will come from students, parents, teachers, principals and administrators on every aspect of a student's ensemble -- from the proper length of shorts to open-backed dresses.

It will be the first time in more than a decade that the district will take on an exhaustive fashion review.

"It's a very difficult issue," said Nancy Zambito, a district director of operations. "It'll be interesting to see what we get."

Every three years, to respond to changing times and standards, a district committee studies the student code of conduct and recommends changes to the School Board.

This year, the message from principals was clear: Today's fashions are disruptive in school.

No longer will students be able to reveal their underwear under skimpy tops or loose shorts. Girls won't be allowed to show off their shoulders at all, so all strappy tops are off-limits unless a T-shirt is worn underneath.

Girls can wear sleeveless shirts (that only reveal their arms, not their shoulders), but boys in middle school and high school can't.

No one can wear anything mesh or see-through. Form-fitting clothes, including sports bras and spandex shorts, are also outlawed "without proper outer garments."

Around Tampa Bay, every school district requires appropriate dress. In Pasco County, dog collars and other items are specifically banned. Hillsborough County banned visible underwear years ago.

Deciding how to define "appropriate" is harder than it sounds.

Boys pushing their pants down to reveal their boxers think they look fine. Parents who have purchased tank tops for their daughters might think the tops are cute and might not want to spend the money on new wardrobes.

As the district undertakes this fashion review, officials will pay particular attention to a key question: What, realistically, can school principals enforce? Should they have to walk around every day with tape measures, checking whether shorts are too high above the knee?

Zambito said only time will tell.

For now, board members are happy that they have made some progress toward decency.

"Next year, when I go on a high school campus, I hope that I don't see these things," said board member Susan Latvala.

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