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The Flagler County School Board met in a workshop Wednesday, Jan. 25, to define the district’s new mandatory uniforms policy.

“This is our starting off place,” Superintendent Janet Valentine said, presenting staff’s proposed dress code, which the board then went through line by line, outlining specifics.

Accompanied with the final policy, to be published online, hyperlinks will be embedded in certain rules, leading to photo examples of approved apparel.

The policy, as discussed this morning by the School Board, is as follows:

Pants

• Must be khaki, navy blue or black slacks, or blue or black denim. May include pants, walking shorts, skirts, skorts or jumpers.
• A small trademark — about the size of the Polo logo — will be acceptable.
• Pants must be plain, without holes or frays, with finished hems.
• Must be worn securely at the waist.
• In all grades excluding levels K-3, a black or brown belt is required with all pants with belt loops.

Shirts

• Appropriately sized short/long polo-style, oxford or button-up dress shirts with collars are mandatory.
• Small trademarks are acceptable.
• Shirts must be solid colors.
• Students at every school may wear the district colors of white or gray, and two additional colors, as chosen by principals.
• On designated spirit days/special events, students may wear school T-shirts, team jerseys or club shirts.
• It is recommended that shirts be tucked in (“I don’t think tucking-in’s a battle I want to fight on this,” Board member Andy Dance said.).
• Cleavage must be covered.

Outer/cool-weather attire

• Zip, button-up and over-the-head sweatshirts/sweaters are acceptable, as long as required attire is worn beneath.
• All outwear must be a solid color of white, gray or other approved school colors.
• Small trademarks are allowed.
• School logos are allowed.

Shoes

• Grades K-6 must wear athletic/enclosed shoes only.
• Grades 7-8, can wear closed heel/strapped shoes, as well as sneakers.
• Grades 9-12 can wear all of the above, with the addition of flip-flops/sandals (“We do live in a beach community,” Valentine said.)
• Unsafe footwear is not allowed (i.e. sneakers with wheels).

General rules

• Shorts, skirts, skorts or jumpers are acceptable, if they fall within 4 inches above the knee.
• No headgear of any kind is allowed.
• No undergarments are to be seen at any time.
• Apparel to identify affiliation with any gang or secret society is not permissible.
• Sunglasses are not allowed inside.
• Chains hanging outside of clothing are not allowed.
• No jewelry or accessory that presents safety/health concerns is permissible.
• Tattoos deemed inappropriate by staff are not allowed.
• Contact lenses that alter the appearance of the eye are not allowed.
• No trench coats.
• The requirement that school IDs be worn at all times is yet to be determined.

Instead of meeting for another workshop before the board’s next regular meeting, Feb. 7, staff will now get to work designing an implementation policy, as well as special circumstances concerning religious/special-needs exemptions. Its plan will then be brought before the board for approval.

Before Feb. 7, principals will notify staff of their school’s two additional colors, which staff will then relay to local retail suppliers.

“And if we end up with issues (later), we can come back and revisit,” Dance added.

“Parents and families have seven months right now, to prepare for August,” Board Chairwoman Sue Dickinson said. “(Staff) is going to need that time, as well, to prepare for enforcement.”

See the Feb. 2 print edition of the Palm Coast Observer for more.

 

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