Dress Code

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- Waynesboro Area School District students and staff were put on notice Monday that inappropriate dress and grooming will not be tolerated. The school board said it wants the district dress code to be emphasized during the 2010-11 academic year. If not, Board President Ed Wilson cautioned dress rules could become more strict. Superintendent James Robertson said he'd ask the building principals to make the dress code a point of emphasis this year. Concerning employees, board member Pat Heefner said she'd like a blanket statement to be made at the beginning of the year.

A scaled-down version of a districtwide dress code was approved by the Chambersburg School Board Wednesday night despite the pleas of one board member to keep the current policy for at least two more years. After lengthy discussion - which included debate by the board and the public  - the board voted 8-1 in favor of implementing a dress code for the nearly 9,000 students in the school district. The latest rendition of the dress and grooming policy, which goes into effect next school year, prohibits wearing hooded sweatshirts during the school day, jeans with holes in them and tops with writing.

I used to have a dress code policy at my prison, and was surprised recently when I read of Superintendent Joe Padasak's difficulty as he attempts to implement a dress code policy for the Chambersburg Area Senior High School. A school dress code can often help to reduce problems, but then again it doesn't appear that we Americans are concerned very much about dress these days, or school problems. Just maybe Superintendent Padasak's goal is to create a more safe school environment for the students who attend Chambersburg high.

A Boonsboro Middle School eighth-grader on Tuesday asked the school board to improve the district's dress code. Madeline Clingan challenged the policy that says shorts, skirts and dresses must "cover the mid-thigh when sitting down, or be at least long enough to meet the tip of the student's longest finger when the student is standing with arms down at the sides. " Madeline said the policy penalizes students with long arms and fingers, like hers. To demonstrate, Madeline, who is about 5 feet 8 inches tall, and her friend, Emily Anderson, who stands about 5 feet 5 inches, stood side by side, wearing the same type of shorts.

In an attempt to modernize and clear up ambiguities in the student dress code, three high school students presented proposed changes to the Washington County Board of Education's Policy Committee on Thursday. Some of the proposed dress code changes would put into policy types of clothing or shoewear students are already wearing to school, students said. The proposed revisions were devised by about 65 middle and high school students during Washington County Association of Student Councils meetings last November, said Amanda Krehbiel, the school board's student representative.

The Chambersburg Area School Board is giving the community a chance to ask questions tonight about a proposed new dress code for all students that bans denim, shirts without collars or with patterns or logos. The forum will be in the Chambersburg Area Senior High School auditorium from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Hooded sweatshirts are not permitted under the new dress code, and hair must be in the range of blond, black, auburn/red and brunette. School district Superintendent Joe Padasak said the forum will be held before the school board meeting, but no vote will be taken at the meeting on the dress code.

By KERRY LYNN FRALEY Staff Writer Wearing frayed jeans and dying your hair purple doesn't mean you're a bad kid, said Williamsport High School junior Kris Fischer. But both will get you in trouble under the school's strictly enforced student dress code, said Fischer, who believes the dress code is unnecessarily restrictive and infringes on the rights he's been guaranteed by Washington County Board of Education policy. "I have pants that are declared disruptive because they're frayed and have some patches sewn onto them, and I'm not allowed to dye my hair," said Fischer, 16. He said he believes the language in the school board's "Students' Rights and Responsibilities" policy forbids his school from banning hair dye and patches that make political statements.

The Waynesboro Area School Board on Tuesday adopted a new dress code for teachers and continued the process to soon adopt one for administrators and support staff. For teachers, prohibited items include denim jeans, tank tops, flip-flops, athletic shoes and sweat pants. The policy, which passed unanimously, also addresses grooming. High school teacher Natasha Bloom addressed the school board, saying she understands the school board's motives, but feels her facial piercing does not affect her abilities in the classroom.

Washington County Public Schools' almost 10-year-old student dress code will get revamped thanks to student efforts led by the school board's student representative, Amanda Krehbiel. While the Board of Education didn't approve a first reading of Krehbiel's proposed dress code changes during Tuesday's meeting, it did take steps to allow the dress code to change, and perhaps be updated more often as fashion trends change. The board unanimously approved an amendment proposed by board member Wayne D. Ridenour that removes specifics about clothing from the policy and charges the superintendent or his designee to develop dress-code regulations in consultation with student representatives.

Washington County employees will have to follow a more stringent dress code after a few workers have dressed inappropriately on the job, according to a new county policy approved by the County Commissioners. The dress code outlines appropriate attire and also allows employees to dress in "business casual" clothing every Friday. Human Resources Director David Hankinson said there weren't many incidents in which employees have dressed inappropriately, but he had been asked to establish a new policy.

The possibility of a dress code policy for Washington County Public Schools employees recently was discussed by some school board members, but the issue might be addressed without creating a formal policy, the chairwoman of the school board's Policy Committee said. After the Policy Committee, which consists of three board members, discussed the issue in April, it decided to recommend the superintendent have staff and representatives from employee groups collaborate on establishing a statement and guidelines for professional dress rather than the board pursue a formal policy, Policy Committee Chairwoman Jacqueline Fischer said.

Washington County Public Schools' almost 10-year-old student dress code will get revamped thanks to student efforts led by the school board's student representative, Amanda Krehbiel. While the Board of Education didn't approve a first reading of Krehbiel's proposed dress code changes during Tuesday's meeting, it did take steps to allow the dress code to change, and perhaps be updated more often as fashion trends change. The board unanimously approved an amendment proposed by board member Wayne D. Ridenour that removes specifics about clothing from the policy and charges the superintendent or his designee to develop dress-code regulations in consultation with student representatives.

In an attempt to modernize and clear up ambiguities in the student dress code, three high school students presented proposed changes to the Washington County Board of Education's Policy Committee on Thursday. Some of the proposed dress code changes would put into policy types of clothing or shoewear students are already wearing to school, students said. The proposed revisions were devised by about 65 middle and high school students during Washington County Association of Student Councils meetings last November, said Amanda Krehbiel, the school board's student representative.

A scaled-down version of a districtwide dress code was approved by the Chambersburg School Board Wednesday night despite the pleas of one board member to keep the current policy for at least two more years. After lengthy discussion - which included debate by the board and the public  - the board voted 8-1 in favor of implementing a dress code for the nearly 9,000 students in the school district. The latest rendition of the dress and grooming policy, which goes into effect next school year, prohibits wearing hooded sweatshirts during the school day, jeans with holes in them and tops with writing.

I used to have a dress code policy at my prison, and was surprised recently when I read of Superintendent Joe Padasak's difficulty as he attempts to implement a dress code policy for the Chambersburg Area Senior High School. A school dress code can often help to reduce problems, but then again it doesn't appear that we Americans are concerned very much about dress these days, or school problems. Just maybe Superintendent Padasak's goal is to create a more safe school environment for the students who attend Chambersburg high.

 “I wish the parents in Franklin County would stop whining about the dress code for their children. Had they been doing their job all along, it wouldn't be necessary for the schools to tell their children how to dress.” - Chambersburg, Pa. “To repeal Obamacare, to save Medicare and Social Security, vote Republican. Our country is running out of money. The few workers we have left cannot seed the programs. A financial disaster is awaiting all of us if we continue in this same old way.” - Boonsboro “To the Hagerstown caller wanting to know if we wanted to blame President Obama for the Kennedy assassination: We couldn't do that.

The Chambersburg Area School Board is giving the community a chance to ask questions tonight about a proposed new dress code for all students that bans denim, shirts without collars or with patterns or logos. The forum will be in the Chambersburg Area Senior High School auditorium from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Hooded sweatshirts are not permitted under the new dress code, and hair must be in the range of blond, black, auburn/red and brunette. School district Superintendent Joe Padasak said the forum will be held before the school board meeting, but no vote will be taken at the meeting on the dress code.

The Waynesboro Area School Board on Tuesday adopted a new dress code for teachers and continued the process to soon adopt one for administrators and support staff. For teachers, prohibited items include denim jeans, tank tops, flip-flops, athletic shoes and sweat pants. The policy, which passed unanimously, also addresses grooming. High school teacher Natasha Bloom addressed the school board, saying she understands the school board's motives, but feels her facial piercing does not affect her abilities in the classroom.