Troy School District Dress Code Enrages Some Parents

Stephanie Schuler grew up in an environment where she was taught to express herself.

She attended school in the Lincoln-Way district, went on to become an art major and has worked as a hair stylist for the last five years, most recently at Spa, Beauty & Personal Care in Shorewood.

She lives in Shorewood with her two young daughters, Mikayla, a first-grader at Troy Shorewood Elementary School, and Riley, 18 months. And she is upset that the Troy School District is moving in a direction she believes could affect the way they grow up.

The Troy School board, at its April 17 meeting, approved the implementation of PreK-4 Simplified Dress Code and a Grades 5-8 Standardized Dress Code for the 2013-14 school year.

Simply put: No jeans will be allowed.

The PreK-4 code is “similar to what we’re already doing—there are no structural changes,” Troy school superintendent Don White said. “The grades 5-8 plan tightens down the current dress code.”

White said Troy students in grades 5-8 will be required to wear a solid color shirt with no writing on the shirt. He said the shirt can have a logo—but no bigger than a pocketsize logo. He said students also can dress in Troy Spiritwear.

“And, then, the pants need to be twill fabric—khaki or navy blue,” White said. “Boys and girls. They can also wear shorts or skirts as long as they’re khaki or navy blue and not any further than 4 inches above the knee.”

Some Feel Left Out

The dress code restrictions have some parents feeling outraged, including the 31-year-old Schuler.

“First off, I’m shocked parents were not involved in this decision,” she said. “It’s my opinion if they were going to talk about it at a board meeting that a letter should have been sent home to notify parents. I would have attended along with many other parents in the district, I know that.”

Schuler is not concerned with the PreK-4 dress code.

“It’s not as restrictive as the 5-8,” she said. “The part that bothers me is it feels like we’re transferring over to a private-school dress code. I’m not paying for private school. This takes away kids’ individualism. I feel they need to express themselves.

“Wearing khaki pants and a polo shirt—it’s not comfortable and it’s not conducive to a good learning environment. I know the district is big on the zero-tolerance thing for bullying. As a kid who was bullied, I agree with that. But this dress code won’t stop the bulling. Some kids will be picked on—no matter what.”

White disagrees with Schuler and others who are up in arms. He said the board—after lengthy discussion over several meetings—acted on the belief that student appearance reflects the student’s preparation for learning, self-discipline and respect for others.

He said these beliefs are based on documented evidence and sent a recap of that research to district parents in a letter dated April 19, 2013:

• The Effects of Dress on School Discipline (Norman L. Sommers)
• Evaluation of School Uniform Policy at John Adams and Truman Middle Schools for Albuquerque Public Schools (Deborah L. Elder)

“We’re trying to establish standards of dress in our schools,” said White of why the district felt it was important to tighten its code for grades 5-8. “There was some interpretation to what we had, and it was causing inconsistencies.

“What that means is, for example, a student in a first period class might be deemed as dressed appropriately by one teacher. And, then, when that same student gets to fourth period, that teacher would say the dress was inappropriate. By standardizing, it makes it less subjective.”

A Few Bad Apples?

The question of whether a few bad apples are of spoiling Troy’s dress code for all is one Schuler has contemplated.

“I do feel parents need to be stricter with their children and what they wear,” she said. “I see way too many young girls dressing way too provocatively for their age, mostly outside of school. I feel parents need to pull back on the reins.

“I don’t agree with pants with lettering on the butts. I think some parents are trying to be the ‘cool parent’ but there needs to be a middle ground here so the kids can dress how they want and still be appropriate.”

The cost of buying “dress code” clothes for her children is not an issue with Schuler, but she has talked with others who are concerned because they’re struggling to make ends meet.

“Families with one working parent—no working parent—money is tight,” she said. “And now when the kids come home from school, they’ll have to keep their school clothes nice. So, parents essentially will have to buy two wardrobes for their children.”

White conducted an informal survey of his own to determine what it might cost parents to outfit their children in khaki pants and a polo shirt.

“I called a large, big-box vender and I was told you could get a shirt and pants for $23 or less,” he said.

White said he is a firm believer adults set examples for school children and will work to bargain with Troy teachers and staff members so their dress is in step with that of Troy students by the start of the 2013-14 school year.

He supports the ideals of freedom of speech and expression—but said legally he has been advised the Troy dress code is not considered a first amendment issue. The reason: Troy's board has the right to establish a culture and learning environment, and parents are obliged to follow the rules set by the board.