Modesto City Schools dress code update proposed. Here’s what would be OK, not OK
Growing frustration by students and staff has led Modesto City Schools officials to propose changes to the district’s 2023-24 dress code, which they say has not had a significant review in over 20 years.
David Houck, senior director of child welfare and attendance, and Fallon Ferris, equity and intervention specialist, proposed the changes to the Modesto City Schools Board of Education.
“Planned student walkouts and protests were averted when students were told they would be provided an opportunity to have input in the creation of a new dress code,” Houck said.
Here are the proposed revisions, including survey responses by students, parents and staff on what should and should not be allowed.
Proposed significant changes
Houck and Ferris reviewed the current code, held student forums to gather input, put together a dress code committee composed of school principals, teachers, community members and others, and sent surveys to all students in grades 5-12, staff and families.
The surveys got response from 5,989 students, 687 parents and 1,625 staff members.
Each survey posed three questions.
The first asked whether hats should be allowed at school, both in the classroom and around campus. More than 91% of students, 52% of parents and 43% of staff either agreed or strongly agreed.
The second question was whether students should be able to show bare abdomens. Answering in the affirmative were 74% of students, 19% of parents and 17% of staff.
The third question was whether clothing should be “secured and cover personal body parts,” to which 65% of students, 93% of parents and 94% of staff said yes.
That last question was prompted because some students have worn clothing that could expose private areas, Houck said, like shirts with large cutouts on the side, or pants cut or torn high up.
“We understand that we cannot satisfy everyone,” Ferris said. “It is our goal and we believe that we have created a document that meets the needs of our community.”
Taking the surveys into consideration, the dress code committee proposed changes including permitting hats on campus and in class, providing they are not gang-related; permitting hoodies on campus and in class, while forbidding earbuds during instructional time; permitting tops with bare midriffs for males and females; and requiring all tops to include straps or sleeves and to not expose undergarments or private areas.
Permitting hoodies “is intended to support our most sensitive learners who find comfort and security in wearing a hood,” Ferris said.
Why the changes were proposed
The district’s current dress code, Houck said, is based on what might be considered a distraction rather than something that truly is a disruption to the learning environment.
“Students should not fear unnecessary discipline or body shaming,” he said. “School communities should respect and understand student desires to express themselves while done so appropriately.”
Another reason Houck and Ferris proposed the changes is to ensure equity and expectations. Houck said the dress code should not be focused on one particular group of students but should ensure equity by race, ethnicity, gender, religion and other factors.
What’s next
The dress code committee, having received feedback from the board, will submit finalized code revisions for approval at the trustees’ May 15 meeting.
During the board’s April 17 meeting, one teacher suggested making changes to the verbiage of the proposal to ensure that students who wear hoods in class do not pull the strings so tightly that their face cannot be seen.
“I want to be able to make eye contact with (students) and I want to make sure that (they’re) engaged with instruction,” the teacher said.
Board Vice President John Ervin III also suggested a tweak in the language to ensure students understand what “clothing should be secured and cover personal body parts” means in terms of the practicality of the statement.
