Responsibility for the dress and appearance of students enrolled in the Seminole County Public Schools primarily rests with parents and the students. Some student apparel, however, may not be appropriate to wear to school even though that same apparel may be appropriate to wear in other settings. To assist parents a and students in making appropriate fashion and grooming decisions for school, the School Board has established the following minimal guidelines for the appearance and dress of students.
The standards of appearance for students shall insure that the students be clean, neat, and properly dressed. They shall observe modes of dress and standards of personal grooming which are appropriate for the academic environment.
It is the responsibility of the Principal to see that the dress appearance of any student shall not be extreme, to the point of creating a disturbance, or is hazardous to oneself, others, or school property, whether or not the specific case is covered by the information below. The Principal or Principal's designee has the final authority for interpreting whether a student's apparel/appearance conforms to the dress code.
All schools have the option of adopting a standard dress code (uniform) when developed and agreed upon in collaboration with their School Advisory Council. Schools that adopt a standard dress code policy should include the following: collared shirts, sleeves, khaki or dark pants/shorts/skorts, defined shirt colors (e.g. school colors).
(1) Head
- No hats, caps, visors, hoods, bandanas, sunglasses or other head gear may be worn on campus except with administrative permission (i.e. medical necessity, religious, school related events).
(2) Upper Garments
- Garments must be of a length and fit that are suitable to the build and stature of the student.
- All garments must have a collar or sleeves. Therefore, the following items are prohibited: halter tops, tube tops, backless dresses/tops, spaghetti straps, tank tops.
- Necklines of all upper garments must be modest. Low cut necklines are prohibited, and the cut of garments must not expose undergarments or cleavage.
- Shirts must touch, at minimum the top portion of lower garments at all times.
- Garments that are distracting or inappropriate are prohibited, including but not limited to those with see-through materials, skin-tight items, pajamas, trench coats, rips/tears, printed profanity, or language/symbols/styles that promote the use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco products, gang-related or other illegal activities.
(3) Lower Garments
- Pants and shorts should conform to the build and stature of the students.
- Undergarments and the buttocks MUST remain entirely covered even while seated.
- Dresses, skirts, and shorts must be at least mid-thigh or below in length. Rips/tears above mid-thigh not permitted.
- The waistband of pants, shorts, or shirts must be worn and secured between the hips and the waist.
- Undergarments as outerwear, pajama pants, bathing suits, cheer shorts, bike shorts, and spandex material bottoms are prohibited.
(4) Footwear
- All students shall wear shoes/footwear. Students must wear shoes that are safe and appropriate for the learning environment. Students must wear athletic shoes in all PE classes.
- Cleats, slippers, and shoes with wheels are not permitted on campus. Cleats may be worn for appropriate extracurricular sports in proper areas.
(5) Accessories
- Clothing, jewelry, and accessories shall not convey messages that are: crude, vulgar/profane, violent/death-oriented, gang related, sexually suggestive, promote alcohol, drugs, or tobacco.
- Jewelry or accessories that pose a safety concern for the student or others are prohibited. Dog collars, wallet chains, large hair picks or chains that connect one part of the body to another are prohibited.