Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 26, 1995 TAG: 9507260071
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Some don't like the nose rings, pants that are falling off the hips and neck chains.
Marsha Ellison, a Roanoke School Board member, shares the parents' sentiments.
"Things are getting wilder and wilder in students' appearance and dress," Ellison said.
"Schools are places to learn. If you are going to wear something outlandish, do it in a different environment. It's not fair to students who want to learn."
Some parents have contacted Ellison about their desire for a stricter dress code in the city's schools, but school officials said they have to be cautious about infringing on students' rights.
If student dress or grooming is disruptive or interferes with learning, the schools can restrict it, Superintendent Wayne Harris said.
"But we can't enforce a dress code for a code's sake," Harris said. "We have to be careful about what we do."
Ellison raised the dress-code issue at the board's recent planning session for the upcoming school year. William Parsons, the board's attorney, said he was researching the topic.
Under the city's existing code, students are prohibited from wearing clothing that is ``revealing.''
Garments imprinted with obscene or suggestive language or pictures are prohibited, said Wayne Wright, an assistant principal at Patrick Henry High School.
So are clothes or accessories that could cause damage to others, such as chains.
But Wright said the schools don't try to restrict earrings or other jewelry.
"You can't spell out every detail," he said. "Fashions change, and you have to take it with the changing times."
Ellison, a former Parent-Teacher Association leader, said critics of dress codes complain they stifle creativity. Some parents, however, have been disgusted for a long time by the appearance of some students, she said.
Ellison also supports more consistent enforcement of restrictions on the length of girls' skirts.
Roanoke County has a general dress code that is similar to the city's.
"We prohibit skimpy and revealing clothes or anything that displays or touts illegal drugs," said James Gallion, assistant superintendent. "We also prevent anything that has sexual connotations or suggestions."
The county's only restriction on jewelry pertains to belts or chains that might be dangerous, he said. The county bars students from wearing hats in classrooms.
Gallion said the county's dress regulations are generally supported by parents, students and teachers. No one has challenged them.
Salem also bars students from wearing revealing and suggestive clothes and prohibits shirts that advertise beer or promote illegal drugs.
Salem has no restrictions on jewelry, hairstyles or other decorations.
"We have had few problems with those things. There are a few kids with streaks dyed in their hair, but very few," said Joe Kirby, director of instruction.
A new state lawcould have a far-reaching impact on student dress. It allows local school boards to require students in public schools to wear uniforms.
The state Board of Education has been directed to develop model guidelines for uniforms, including parental involvement and cost.
If some schools in Roanoke want to require uniforms, Ellison said, she would support the move, although she is not advocating it.
At Roanoke Catholic School, uniforms have been required for many years. The school also has restrictions on jewelry, hairstyle and cosmetics.
The uniforms take pressure off the children to follow fashion trends, said Karen Mabry, Roanoke Catholic principal. "It equalizes who has money and who doesn't," she said.
Mabry said students and parents support wearing uniforms because they know they are part of the school's tradition and requirements.
"We don't have a problem with them," she said.
Neither boys nor girls can have extreme hairstyles or dye their hair an unusual color. Girls below the eighth grade are prohibited from wearing makeup, and jewelry must be kept to a minimum.
by CNB