2024-2025 Winona-Montgomery School District

Dress Code

All students attending Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District are expected to dress appropriately for the K-12 educational environment. Student dress should support active participation in learning as well as support the health and safety of students and the adults who supervise them. This policy is intended to provide guidance for staff, students, and parents. 

In relation to student dress, the district’s core values are as follows: 

■ Students should be able to dress for school in a manner that expresses their individuality as long as it does not interfere with the learning process and the health and safety of themselves or other students. 

■ Students should be treated equitably. Dress Code should not create disparities or reinforce or increase the marginalization of any individual or group. 

Students’ clothing, make-up, and hairstyles should reflect neatness, cleanliness, and self-respect of the individual student in such a way that the student is a reflection of the school's goal to be a desirable place that promotes student learning and character development. 

General Requirements PreK-12: 

● Clothing may not depict, imply, advertise, or advocate illegal, violent, or lewd conduct, weapons, or the use of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. 

● Clothing may not depict or imply pornography, nudity, or sexual acts. 

● Clothing may not display or imply vulgar, discriminatory, or obscene language or

    images. 

● Clothing may not state, imply, or depict hate speech/imagery targeting groups

    based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or any

    other protected classification. 

● Apparel, jewelry, accessories, or any manner of grooming that by its color,

   arrangement, trademark, or any other attribute, denotes membership in a gang

   that advocates for illegal or disruptive behavior is prohibited. 

● All clothing must be appropriately sized. Clothing should not be several sizes too

    big or too small. 

● Headgear may not be worn in the building. This includes but is not limited to hats,

   bandanas, hoods (when wearing a hoodie), “do-rags,” hair bonnets, etc. 

● Shoes must be worn at all times. House shoes and slippers are not permitted.

● All shoes must have a strap on the back or back on them. (No slides or backless shoes.) 

SHIRTS 

● All clothing must cover the front and back midriff (no cropped tops that expose the midriff) completely and show no cleavage. 

● In grades 3-12, 2” wide or wider straps from the neck to the shoulder are allowed (off-the-shoulder sleeves are not allowed). No halter top, racerback, spaghetti strap, muscle sleeve, or mesh shirts allowed. 

● Sheer or “see-through” garments must have undershirts that meet the dress code worn underneath. 

PANTS/SKIRTS/SHORTS 

● Pants must be worn no lower than the waist level. No sagging. 

● Pants/shorts/skirts must be free of holes or tears above the knee. 

● Shorts/skirts shall be no shorter than 4” above the knee. In grades PK-2,

   students may wear shorts at mid-thigh. 

● No mesh or see-through pants/skirts will be allowed. 

● Leggings may be worn only if the bottom hem of the dress/top the student is wearing reaches mid-thigh. 

● No pajama pants, sleepwear, or lounge will be allowed. 

DRESSES 

● Dresses worn alone (without leggings) shall be no shorter than 4” above the knee. 

● In grades 3-12 dresses must have a 2” wide or wider strap from neck to shoulder (off-the-shoulder sleeves are not allowed). 

DISCLAIMER: Due to changes in styles, it is virtually impossible to identify specifically every aspect of clothing and accessories; therefore, the district reserves the right for the school principal to make personal judgments concerning the dress code and student dress as necessary including garments that vary from the dress code that are considered part of a team uniform.

WMSD Board of Trustees Approved 5-14-2024