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Towanda Area School District
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District Policies » Dress and Grooming

Dress and Grooming

APPROPRIATE DRESS

While a student’s right to dress as he/she chooses may not be arbitrarily limited, school officials do have the right to prohibit attire which is disruptive to the educational process or which constitutes a health or safety hazard. Clothes should be clean and without holes in inappropriate areas. Students are responsible for personal hygiene including clothing. School officials may impose limitations on a student’s participation in the regular instructional program where there is evidence that the lack of personal hygiene constitutes a health hazard.

Any garment produced by or specifically for the Towanda Area School District and approved by the administration is permitted. Exceptions to the mandatory dress code will be made on a case-by-case basis by administration.


PROHIBITED ITEMS:
  • Outdoor coats and jackets, sunglasses, and gloves may not be worn in school.
  • Articles that could cause harm to another or damage to property may not be worn in school. Examples of such articles chains or jewelry with metal spikes.
  • Excessively tight or loose clothing.
  • Hats, hoods, bandannas, and other such head coverings may not be worn in school.
  • Clothing which is revealing or suggestive may not be worn. Examples include, but are not limited to, low cut shirts, tank tops, halter tops, camisole tops, bare midriffs, boxer shorts, excessively tight jeans or skirts and trousers not appropriately worn around the waist.
  • Articles of clothing/accessories, which promote, encourage or depict any form of drugs (including alcohol and tobacco); obscene, suggestive or vulgar language or actions; gang activities; or depicts, refers to, or mentions groups that promote destruction and violence.
  • Any article of clothing that disrupts the educational process.

STYLE OF DRESS
  • Undergarments must not be visible.
  • All pants/shorts must be worn at the waist
  • Shirts need to be buttoned to at least the top 2 to 3 buttons. No tank tops unless covered with another appropriate garment.
  • Zipper front shirts, sweaters, and sweatshirts need to be zipped up to the same area as the top 2-3 buttons on a shirt. If the student chooses not to zip their shirt, sweater, or sweatshirt they need to be wearing a dress code approved shirt underneath it.
  • Hoods on sweatshirts or hoodies need to be kept down during the school day.
  • Skirts/skorts/shorts need to be worn at the waist and be no shorter than mid-thigh (the “fingertip rule” will be used to determine the proper length of these items.)
  • Slits on skirts, jumpers or dresses must be no higher than mid-thigh.
  • Dresses need to have the same neckline as shirts.
  • Tops, pants, etc. must be worn in a manner that no midriff and/or undergarments are visible at any time.