STANDARD MODE OF DRESS (SMOD)
Purpose
Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year,
all students in Lexington City Schools (LCS) are required to wear Standard Mode
of Dress (SMOD). The Lexington City
School Board of Education believes a safe and disciplined learning environment
is essential to maximize student achievement and to ensure that students reach
their full potential. The implementation of SMOD will promote respect for
oneself and others, build school spirit, decrease unhealthy competition
involving fashion trends, reduce the strain on parental clothing budgets, and
allow for easy identification of intruders on campus.
Information
Dissemination
School officials will communicate with
parents/guardians information concerning the uniform policy through newsletters,
parent meetings, parent/student handbooks, media (newspaper, TV, and/or radio),
flyers, and posters.
Appearance
The principal will implement the SMOD
policy in a manner that is developmentally appropriate.
Good judgment in considering age, developmental stages, and body type are
expected of all students, parents, and guardians in the selection of school
attire and overall appearance. SMOD
must be neat, clean, properly fitted, age-appropriate and suitable for the
learning environment. In addition to being required to wear SMOD, all students
are expected to be groomed and dressed appropriately for school activities. A
student’s dress and/or appearance will:
(1)
support,
not disrupt, the learning environment;
(2)
constitute
no threat to health or safety;
(3)
not
be provocative or obscene; and
(4)
reflect
practices of good hygiene and cleanliness.
Waiver/Opt-out
Requests
Reasonable consideration will be given for
students who request a waiver of a particular guideline for dress or appearance
because of a sincerely held religious belief or medical issue.
The parent or guardian must submit a waiver request in writing on the
Waiver Request Form to the school principal or the principal’s designee on an
annual basis. In considering a
waiver request, the principal and/or principal’s designee have the right to
request additional documentation from medical officials and/or religious
leaders.
Reasonable
Accommodations
The principal or the principal’s
designee will make reasonable accommodation for students involved in special
duties, activities, or projects approved by the school.
This could include but not be limited to athletics, career and technical
education, physical education, special events, and other activities that require
non-conforming dress on a school campus during a school-sponsored event.
Students may be excused from wearing
Financial
Considerations
Parents and/or guardians who have concerns
about the affordability of a school uniform should contact the school guidance
office. The guidance counselor will
assist the family with identifying community resources. Students who enroll in
Lexington City Schools during the school year will be given support during the
enrollment process to assist with immediate compliance to the SMOD Policy.
The school system will not be responsible for funding SMOD for students.
Each school will maintain a SMOD Closet to provide appropriate attire
when students are not dressed in SMOD, to assist new students, and to facilitate
the recycling of SMOD garments within the school community.
SMOD Requirements
A.
Shirts, Sweaters, Sweatshirts, and Coats
1.
PK-12 students must wear shirts with a collar and
sleeve and may choose from the following solid colors: white, gray, navy blue,
royal blue, or orange.
2.
With the exception of school insignia/logos, shirts
may not have logos, labels, words, or pictures larger than one square inch.
3.
Shirts
must be appropriately sized and must hang no more than three inches below the
hip bone. Shirts with “tails” or
uneven bottoms, or any shirt that hangs more than three inches below the hip
bone must be tucked in. Shirts must be long enough to cover the midriff.
4.
Undergarments
may not be visible at any time.
5.
Students
may wear a
6.
No
see-through or mesh clothing that will reveal the body or undergarments will be
allowed.
7.
Clothing
will be worn appropriately (not inside-out or backwards, not partially on,
etc.).
8.
Students
may wear a
9.
Coats
may not be worn inside the classroom. Exceptions may be made by the principal or
designee in the case of heating malfunction.
10.
Coats,
SMOD colored sweaters, and SMOD colored sweatshirts with “hoods” are
acceptable, but the student is prohibited from wearing the hood on the head
while inside any school building.
B.
Pants, Skirts, Skorts, Jumpers,
1.
Colors:
solid khaki, navy blue, or black
2.
With the exception of school approved logos, pants,
skirts, jumpers, capris and shorts may not have logos, labels, words, or
pictures larger than one square inch.
3.
All
must be free of graphics, laces, and embroidery.
4.
Shorts,
skirts, skorts and jumpers will be no shorter than three inches above the top of
the knee when standing.
5.
No
splits or slits in skirts or pants will be allowed.
6.
No
jeans or overalls will be allowed.
7.
No cargo pants or cargo shorts will be allowed.
8.
Form fitting or skin tight material, bedroom pants,
lounge pants, or exercise pants will not be allowed.
9.
Clothing
must be appropriately sized. No
baggy or sagging pants or shorts are allowed. No “low rise” clothing is
allowed. Pants with a waist below
the hip bone must not be worn.
10.
Pant
bottoms cannot have ragged or torn edges and cannot drag on the floor.
11.
Clothing
will be worn appropriately (not worn inside-out or backwards, no rolled up pants
legs, or no pants tucked into shoes or socks).
12.
No
see-through or mesh clothing that will reveal the body or undergarments will be
allowed.
13.
If
worn, belts must be appropriately sized, buckled and not hanging below belt
loops. Buckles should be plain and regular size, no larger than a credit card.
Students will be given a belt to wear during the school day if pants are not
appropriately sized.
C.
Footwear
1.
Shoes
that have laces must be laced and tied. Laces must match shoe color or be black,
brown, or white.
2.
No
bedroom shoes, “Heelies,” spike heels, or any shoes with heels greater than
three inches will be allowed.
3.
No
flip flops for students in grades PK-5.
4.
Sock
colors: black, brown, gray, navy
blue, white, and
5.
Socks
must match each other and, if worn, must be worn on both feet.
D.
Accessories
1.
Jewelry
cannot be a distraction to the learning environment or present a safety hazard.
2.
Jelly
bracelets are not permitted.
3.
No
adornment is allowed that reasonably could be perceived as or used as a weapon
(such as chains or spikes).
4.
No
sweatbands, head wraps, hats, doo-rags, skull caps, bandanas, picks, or combs
will be worn inside school buildings.
5.
Students
may wear neckties with SMOD colored dress shirts.
If worn, neckties may be any color or design as long as they are not
disruptive to the educational process.
6.
Leggings
in any
7.
No
pins, buttons, stickers, or other items which are patently vulgar, lewd,
offensive, or which materially and substantially interfere with the education
process are permitted to be worn on a student’s SMOD. Any
allowable pins, buttons, stickers, or other items shall be no more than 3 inches
in diameter.
8.
Sunglasses
may not be worn inside the building.
E.
Hair
No “cut-ins” in hair or brows will be allowed.
Consistent
Enforcement
The principal or the principal’s
designee will ensure that the SMOD policy is enforced in a consistent manner and
require the student and the student’s parent or guardian to take appropriate
action to remedy situations determined to be in conflict with this policy.
Disciplinary action will be taken for violation of the SMOD Policy in
accordance with the LCS Board of Education Code of Student Conduct.
Appropriate disciplinary actions for violations will include the
following:
First
Offense:
Students will be informed that they have violated the policy. They will be given
the opportunity to change into acceptable clothing by using available clothes at
school or by calling a parent/guardian to bring clothes.
If the student refuses, he/she may be placed in in-school suspension for
the remainder of the day.
Second
Offense:
A second infraction of the policy will be considered defiance. In addition to
the disciplinary actions available for a first offense, a parent/guardian
conference will be held.
Third
(and additional) Offenses:
A third or additional infraction of the policy will be addressed according to
Board Policy 5.3.3.1 entitled “Disruption of School” and disciplinary action
may be imposed by the principal pursuant to Board Policy 5.3.4 entitled
“Consequences of Serious Student Misconduct.”
Adopted
4/15/09
Revised
6/1/10