No Sleeves? No Straps? No Way!

Cedar Grove students may soon have to add "not wearing slippers or sleeveless shirts to school anymore" to their list of New Year's resolutions.

Principals from three Cedar Grove schools presented proposed changes to the district's dress code to the Board of Education Tuesday, but the board made it clear some wrinkles had to be ironed out before proceeding.

The school board rejected the idea of mandatory school uniforms in October in favor of a clearer and more stringent dress code, and uniform committees comprised of parents, teachers, students and administrators from schools in the district were formed last month to develop a policy.

Principal Brian Cavanaugh, of South End Elementary, presented on behalf of the Grade K-4 committee. He noted that the committee set out with the knowledge that the clothing habits and guidelines established at that age would create a "feeder system" of pupils accustomed to the new standards by the time they advance to middle school.

Cavanaugh said the goal of the committee was to strike a balance between students' desire to express their individuality with what is appropriate, and develop a standard of dress that will "uphold an appropriate educational environment."

The proposed K-4 policy included a provision against flip flops or other sandal-type footwear that does not have a strap designed to keep it from falling off during physical activity like gym or recess.

It also would require the length of any shorts, skirt or dress to be no higher than the knee, unless the legs are covered by tights or leggings.

Shirts, blouses and dress tops would be required to have sleeves, completely covering the shoulder area. See-through clothing, midriff-bearing shirts, and shirt designs depicting alcohol, sex, drugs, profanity or violence would also be forbidden.

When asked by the board what punishments would be imposed, Cavanaugh said at that grade level, the consequences would probably be limited to a parent conference or lunchtime detention.

Board President Frank Mandala complimented Cavanaugh for his committee's efforts, but criticized the proposed plan, saying it contained "too many loopholes," and that the subjectivity of the guidelines could cause confusion.

"I would like it to be more definitive," he said. "I don't want it to be lax, I want it to be enforced."

Interim Principal Thomas Altonjy, of Memorial Middle School, gave a presentation representing the Grade 5-8 committee.

The proposed rules for the middle school set were a bit less restrictive than for the K-4 students. Sleeveless shirts would not be outlawed entirely, but straps must be greater than one inch thick, and neck lines must be above the armpits. Shorts or skirts are allowed no higher than mid-thigh, and any see-through clothing must be worn with an additional layer underneath.

The penalties for disobeying the code would range from parental notification to lunch detention as well as in-school suspension and revoking of other privileges or activities.

The Grade 5-8 presentation also included a graphical element, which showed a faceless male and female figure, each clad 50 percent in school-appropriate clothing, and 50 percent not.

The male figure's "I love beer" tank top has a big red X on it, and the female figure wears a midriff-revealing top to demonstrate the "no" side.

The board said the visual representation of what is acceptable was a helpful tool, and that they would like to see more visual aides to help teachers and students  comply with the dress code in its final form.

The proposed Grade 5-8 dress code also included daily homeroom inspections as well as periodic surprise inspections, where offenders would be sent to administration, and have it documented in the school's "Genesis" software program.

Mandala bristled at the idea of surprise inspections, and said it suggests a laissez-faire attitude toward the policy.

"It should be routine, whether first or fifth period," he said. "I want teachers to feel empowered to enforce these rules and to be looking for infractions. I want it to be that eventually students just know what's appropriate for school and what's not."

Next, Cedar Grove High School Principal Michael Fetherman presented his school's proposed policy, which included similar language in most respects to the middle school plan, with certain age-appropriate exceptions.

For example, bottoms that "exaggerate, emphasize, reveal or call attention to anatomical details" would not be allowed. Sleeveless shirts would be forbidden for boys, and girls' tank-tops must have a strap thicker than two fingers.

Fetherman also touched on popular accessories that would no longer be allowed such as spiked bracelets, heavy chains, and elastic wrist bands that bear inappropriate words.

Any footwear intended "for the beach or locker room" would also not be allowed, a point Fetherman said his committee's two student representatives "strongly disagreed with."

Mandala said Fetherman's presentation most closely fit his idea of how the policy should be laid out, and suggested, for the sake of continuity, combining the proposed high school policy with the middle school policy with some slight tweaks.

Board member Joseph Cicala said it should be emphasized that each of the three proposed dress codes state parents are responsible for ensuring their children obey the rules, and that parents should and will be held accountable.

Polles said the issue will be revisited in January, and that the administration and board will discuss changes to the proposals and make a conclusion at that time.

The next Board of Education meeting is Jan. 4.