OZARK—Pamela Lopez said she has had five children graduate from Carroll High School, and the worst violation any of them received for not adhering to the dress code was likely break detention.
Until this year.
Lopez said one of her children received two days of in-school suspension for not tucking a shirt in after a mandate from the superintendent’s office to beef up dress code enforcement at the high school.
Lopez said parents were not informed that dress code violations had been changed from a Class 1 offense – which includes a verbal reprimand or parent conference – to a Class 2 offense, which can warrant suspension.
She asked the Ozark City School Board to reconsider the new policy and officially inform students and parents of any changes.
“My concern is that the new policy has cut out two lesser steps that would be very effective if everybody could get on board. I ask that if you have determined whether the dress code policy is more important than other Class 1 offenses like tardiness, that you reinstate it as published,” she said.
“I’m also asking that the office referral of students who have received ISS for violating the dress code be downgraded so that they reflect break detention, and that the next step be that a parent be contacted should violations continue. I’m not asking that you weaken the policy, but I am asking that the discipline for the policy be uniform with the rest of the Class 1 offenses.”
Ozark City Schools Superintendent Mike Lenhart said he would look into Lopez’s request to see whether they could be accommodated in a way that would not weaken the school system’s policy.
Lopez’s inquiry came minutes before the board’s discussion on the possibility of school uniforms in the future. Board member Chris Eckert said uniforms could likely reduce discipline and bullying in schools, as well as reduce dress code violations.
“I know that it’s further down the road, but it is something to think about,” he said.
Lenhart said a possibility could be uniform shirts and khakis for different academies at the new high school, but that more research was necessary to determine whether or not to implement uniforms district-wide.
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