Dress Code Policy

To maintain the health and safety of students and not disrupt the learning process, Horace Mann Middle School has established the following guidelines:

• Undergarments must not be visible. Clothing items such as backless tops, strapless tops, and halter tops are not allowed except when worn as a layering piece underneath a sweater or other shirt that covers the shoulder area. All tops must be high enough in front to cover chest cleavage.
• Clothing should always completely cover the torso (i.e., no bare midriffs). When standing up, the shirt must touch the top of the pants or skirt.
• Skirts and shorts must completely cover the student’s buttocks. Students must be able to comfortably sit in a desk or on the floor, bend down and reach up without exposing undergarments.
• No student shall be permitted to wear any clothing that contains pictures and/or writing referring to alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, sexual references, profanity, promotion of gambling, illegal drugs and/or gangs, weapons, or send derogatory messages related to race/ethnic groups or gender.

• No coats, hats, caps, or bandannas may be worn. Hooded sweatshirts are acceptable; however, students are not allowed to wear the hoods on their heads.
• Footwear must be worn at all times.
• Gang colors, symbols or identification may not be worn. This includes tattoos that are visible.

The school staff will use discretion when making decisions regarding the appropriateness of each student’s dress and possible consequences for violation of this policy. Students will be required to change into appropriate clothing. This may include changing into provided Horace Mann apparel or calling home for appropriate clothing. Repeated violations of dress code rules will result in disciplinary consequences. It is important that students understand that school is a more formal setting than home. In addition, students need to be able to move throughout their day comfortably, ready to participate in whatever activities may be planned for the day. With student and parent support, and the use of common sense when dressing for school, dress code issues can be easily avoided.