Student Dress Code

Students are expected to present a clean, neat and well-groomed appearance at school. It is the responsibility of parents and guardians to ensure their child is properly attired for school. The administration reserves the right to make the final decision concerning the appropriateness of clothing and overall appearance at school.

DRESS CODE (PreK-6)

Recognizing first impressions are important and people are generally more at ease and function better when dressed appropriately, the following guidelines for dress have been established. The emphasis is on cleanliness and neatness. Students could be restricted from attending classes if their attire or appearance is deemed inappropriate by the administrator. In such cases, parents may be contacted to address the issues related to attire or appearance. If the parent/guardian cannot be reached, the student could be removed from regular classes and be assigned to an alternative location until the issue is resolved. The student may be placed on the appropriate step of the discipline ladder.

The school’s administration reserves the right to make any decision necessary for the best interest of the students and which will protect the image of the school and community. Exceptions to the dress code may be made for school-sponsored days such as Read Across America, Hat Day, Red Ribbon Week and other days as designated by the administration.

This dress code outlines the only acceptable form of attire approved to be worn by students in this district. Every component of the student attire should be appropriate in length and/or size.

Appropriate is defined as that which properly covers the body and which is in good taste.

Polo and Button-up Shirts

• Should be solid Petal red, white, black or gray
• All visible emblems, trademarks and/or logos must be white, red, gray or black.
• All shirts must have sleeves.
• Shirts must be buttoned high enough so that no cleavage can be seen.
• Shirts and tops must always touch the waist of pants/skirts (i.e., when in movement, when arms are extended or raised and when in a seated position, etc.)

Petal Spirit T-Shirts

• Must be a Petal school logo/design with solid Petal red, white, black or gray.
• Designs and print must be white, Petal red, gray or black.
• Can be v-neck or crew neck.
• All shirts must have sleeves.
• Shirt collar must be high enough so that no cleavage can be seen.
• Shirts and tops must always touch the waist of pants/skirts/shorts (i.e., when in movement, when arms are extended or raised and when in a seated position, etc.)

Pullovers, Sweatshirts, Hoodies, Sweaters, Rain Jackets and Lightweight Jackets 

• Must be Petal red, white, black or gray
• All visible emblems, trademarks, and/or logos must be white, black, red, navy or gray and be position-neutral.

Bottoms

• Must be solid khaki (tan), navy, gray or black
• Must be worn securely around the waist
• Pants should not be the same color as the top (i.e., black shirt should not be worn with black pants, etc.)
• No athletic shorts, leggings as pants, sweatpants, blue jeans/denim or other bottoms deemed inappropriate by administration.
• Length- no shorter than students' fingertips with arms fully extended by their sides for the full, bottom seam. 
• Jumpers/Polo dresses are allowed PreK-6. They must meet all other dress code requirements. 

Winter Coats

• Coats must be removed when a student enters the building.
• No trench coat style

Shoes and Accessories

• Proper shoes must be always worn at all times (i.e., no slippers, lights, wheels, sounds or other interactive features.)
• No head coverings wider than two inches, ex. hoods, bandanas, hats, caps, visors, do-rags or skull caps.
• No disruptive or distracting hairstyles or accessories
• Piercings are limited to the ears
• No inappropriate tattoos (weapons, drugs, alcohol-related, etc.)
• Accessories should be position neutral and should not pose a safety hazard.

In all instances, the appropriateness or inappropriateness of school dress will be determined by school administrators. Incentive dress days may occur. On these days, students should adhere to dress code length requirements and other expectations for the described attire.

Personal Belongings

All personal belongings such as coats, sweaters and book bags should be labeled with the student's name. Students should not bring any valuable personal items. The student assumes responsibility for ensuring the item is not lost, damaged or stolen.

Cell phones, smart watches or any other electronic devices are prohibited during the school day. The Petal School District, its faculty and staff are not responsible for any damaged, missing or stolen electronic device. If a student has a device and it is damaged or stolen, schools will not utilize administrative time to investigate the incident, nor will the district or school take any financial responsibility for the device. If a student brings a prohibited item to school, the device may be confiscated by the teacher and/or principal. A parent/guardian must come to the school to retrieve any confiscated items. Any item not retrieved by parents by the end of the school year could be discarded. Disciplinary action may be taken at the discretion of the administrator.

Students may not take pictures or film other students, faculty or staff on school grounds, on the buses, or at school activities or post videos or pictures of other students, faculty or staff on the internet without administrative approval.

If a student is sent to the office for a dress code violation, he/she will be assigned the appropriate discipline. Students may be placed in ISR until a parent or designee can bring appropriate clothing.

Polo and Button-up Shirts

• Should be solid Petal red, white, black or gray
• All visible emblems, trademarks and/or logos must be white, red, gray or black and be position-neutral
• All shirts must have sleeves.
• Shirts must be buttoned high enough so that no cleavage can be seen.
• Shirts and tops must always touch the waist of pants/skirts (i.e., when in movement, when arms are extended or raised and when in a seated position, etc.)

Petal Spirit T-Shirts

• Must be a Petal school logo/design with solid Petal red, white, black or gray.
• Designs and print must be white, Petal red, gray or black.
• All shirts must have sleeves.
• The shirt collar must be high enough so that no cleavage can be seen.
• Shirts and tops must always touch the waist of pants/skirts/shorts at all times.

Pullovers, Sweatshirts, Hoodies, Sweaters, Rain Jackets and Lightweight Jackets 

• Must be Petal red, white, black or gray
• All visible emblems, trademarks, and/or logos must be white, black, red, navy or gray and be position-neutral.

Bottoms

• Must be solid khaki (tan), navy, gray or black. They must contain no print, lettering or piping of another color.
• Must be worn securely around the waist
• Length- no shorter than students' fingertips with arms fully extended by their sides for the full, bottom seam. 
• No leggings, sweatpants or blue jeans/denim are allowed.
• Leggings, if worn underneath, must be solid white, black, navy or gray.
• No fishnet-style hosiery
• No blue jeans/denim, wrap skirts or slits.

Winter Coats

• Coats must be removed when a student enters the building.
• No trench coat style

Accessories

• Proper shoes must be always worn (i.e., no slippers)
• Head coverings should be no wider than two inches, including hoods, bandanas, hats, caps, visors, do-rags or skull caps.
• No disruptive or distracting hairstyles or accessories
• Piercings are limited to the ears
• No inappropriate tattoos (weapons, drugs, alcohol-related, etc.)
• Accessories should be position neutral and should not pose a safety hazard.

In all instances, the appropriateness or inappropriateness of school dress will be determined by school administrators. Incentive dress days may occur. On these days, students should adhere to dress code length requirements and other expectations for the described attire.