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5300.25: Student Dress Code

  • 5000: Student Policies
5300.25: Student Dress Code

All students are expected to give proper attention to personal cleanliness and to dress appropriately for school and school functions. Students and their parents have the primary responsibility for acceptable student dress and appearance. Teachers and all other district personnel will exemplify and reinforce acceptable student dress and help students develop an understanding of appropriate appearance in the school setting.

In accordance with the BUFSD’s mission statement, the purpose of this dress code is to support student success through the establishment and maintenance of professional learning environments in all BUFSD schools and facilities. By communicating, teaching, and modeling high standards of personal responsibility, it is our expectation that this dress code will contribute to our students’ college, career and civic readiness.

To ensure effective and equitable enforcement of this dress code, school staff shall enforce the dress code consistently and in a manner that does not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of others based upon any reason, including but not limited to, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles like braids, locks, and twists), color, weight, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, religious practice, creed, national origin, disability, household income, or body type/size.

Our values are:

  • All students should be able to dress comfortably for school and engage in the educational environment without fear of or actual body shaming.
  • Student dress choices should respect the district’s intent to sustain a community that is inclusive of a diverse range of identities.
  • All students should be able to dress in a manner that respects their own personal sense of style, and cultural and gender identity.
  • Student dress code enforcement should not result in unnecessary barriers to school attendance.
  • School staff should be trained and able to use student/body-positive language to explain the code and to address code violations.
  • Reasons for conflict and inconsistent and/or inequitable discipline should be minimized whenever possible.

Our student dress code is designed to accomplish several goals:

  • By communicating, teaching, and modeling high standards of personal responsibility, it is our expectation this dress code will contribute to our students’ college, career, and civic readiness.
  • Maintain a safe learning environment in classes where protective or supportive clothing is needed, such as chemistry/biology (eye or body protection), dance (bare feet, tights/leotards), or physical education (athletic attire/shoes).
  • Allow students to wear clothing that is comfortable.
  • Allow students to wear clothing that expresses their cultural or gender identity.
  • Allow students to wear religious attire without fear of discipline or discrimination.
  • Ensure that students wear clothing or accessories that are free from offensive images or language, including but not limited to profanity, hate speech, and pornography.
  • Ensure that students wear clothing or accessories that do not denote, suggest, display or reference alcohol, drugs or related paraphernalia or other illegal conduct or activities.
  • Ensure that students wear clothing or accessories that do not interfere with the operation of the school, disrupt the educational process, invade the rights of others, or create a reasonably foreseeable risk of such interference or invasion of rights.
  • Ensure that students wear clothing or accessories that cannot reasonably be construed as being or including content that is racist, lewd, vulgar, or obscene, or that reasonably can be construed as containing fighting words, speech that incites others to imminent lawless action, defamatory speech, or threats to others.
  • Ensure that all students are treated equitably regardless of race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles like braids, locks, and twists), color, weight, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, religious practice, creed, national origin, disability, household income, or body type/size.

The BUFSD is responsible for ensuring that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student, that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student, and that dress code enforcement does not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles like braids, locks, and twists), color, weight, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, religious practice, creed, national origin, disability, household income, or body type/size.

Any restrictions to the way a student dresses must be necessary to support the overall educational
goals of the school and must be explained within this dress code.

  1. Basic Principle: Certain body parts must be covered for all students at all times. Clothes must be worn in a way such that undergarments, breasts, abdomen, and back are fully covered. All items listed in the “must wear” and “may wear” categories below must meet this basic principle.
  2. Students Must Wear, while following the basic principle of Section 1 above:
    • A Shirt (with fabric in the front, back, and on the sides under the arms), AND Pants/jeans or the equivalent (for example, a skirt, sweatpants, leggings, a dress, or shorts).
    • Shoes.
    • Masks or appropriate face coverings are required only when directed by school administration, in accordance with Department of Health guidelines.
  3. Students May Wear, as long as these items do not violate Section 1 above:
    • Religious, medical and/or cultural headwear, including head wraps.
    • Hoodie sweatshirts (wearing the hood overhead outside of school is permissible).
    • Fitted pants, including opaque leggings, yoga pants, and “skinny jeans”.
    • Ripped jeans, as long as underwear and buttocks are not exposed.
    • Tank tops, and/or other attire with straps.
    • Athletic attire.
  4. Students Cannot Wear:
    • Clothing with violent language or images.
    • Clothing with images or language depicting/suggesting drugs, alcohol, vaping, or paraphernalia (or any illegal item or activity).
    • Bullet proof vest, body armor, tactical gear, or facsimile.
    • Clothing with hate speech, profanity, or pornography.
    • Clothing with images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class or consistently marginalized groups.
    • Any clothing that reveals visible undergarments.
    • Strapless attire.
    • Flip-flop and slide footwear
    • Pajama pants
    • Swimsuits (except as required in class or athletic practice).
    • Accessories that could be considered dangerous or could be used as a weapon.
    • Hats or any item that obscures the face or ears (except as a religious observance, medical and/or cultural headwear, or as personal protective equipment (PPE).
    • Bandanas or du-rags.
    • ANY COMBINATION OF CLOTHING, WHICH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES CURRENTLY CONSIDER GANG-RELATED. THESE ITEMS MAY CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME. EXAMPLES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: “KNOWN GANG COLORS, SYMBOLSEMBLEMS, AND PARAPHERNALIA

Each Building Principal or his/her designee shall be responsible for informing all students and their parents of the student dress code at the beginning of the school year and any revisions to the dress code made during the school year.

Students who violate the student dress code shall be required to modify their appearance by covering or removing the offending item, and if necessary or practical, replacing it with an acceptable item. Any student who refuses to do so shall be subject to discipline, up to and including in-school suspension for the day. Any student who repeatedly fails to comply with the dress code may be subject to further discipline, up to and including out of school suspension if after restorative justice principles have been implemented the student continues to refuse to cooperate.

Section 5300.25 Approved by the Board of Education: 11/21/24

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