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Droopy drawers will become a no-no at Destin schools (DOCUMENTS)
The School Board will hold a public hearing Aug. 22 at the 4 p.m. meeting at the Crestview court house.
FORT WALTON BEACH — A public hearing will be held Aug. 4 to discuss changes in the Okaloosa County School district’s dress code policy.
The changes are required by new state law passed earlier this year. Under the new law, school districts must add language to their dress codes to deal with baggy clothing and the consequences for students who violate the new rules, said Lois Handzo, the director of student intervention services for the district.
If passed by the Okaloosa County School Board, the new rule would say, “Students are prohibited, while on the grounds of a public school during the regular school day, from wearing clothing that exposes underwear or body parts in an indecent or vulgar manner or that disrupts the orderly learning environment.”
It would apply to students in all grades and give students only one warning before disciplinary action is administered.
For a first violation, a student caught with drooping pants would initially get a verbal warning and perhaps a call to a parent.
A second offense would be followed up with a meeting with parents or guardians and render a student ineligible to participate in any extracurricular activities for up to five days.
A third violation could result in a suspension of up to three days and ineligibility for extracurricular activities for up to 30 days. Parents and guardians also would receive a written letter about the disciplinary action.
Prior to the legislation, the school district tended to let individual schools handle dress code violations on their own.
“Schools would make a determination about what the consequences would be,” Handzo said.
Typically, the schools would take a counseling rather than punitive approach, she added.
For example, if a student had pants that were sagging too much, the school might have belts on hand to give out to students or contact parents to bring in appropriate clothing.
“Each individual school would really take care of it their own way,” she said.
