In an effort to provide an environment conducive to optimal and safe learning absent of unnecessary distraction, and in an effort toward the implementation, facilitation, and perpetuation of school unity, the Board of Education allows each school to establish their own dress code consistent with the school’s individual identity as long as the dress code meets the minimum standards and expectations outlined below.
Dress Code Policy
The Board of Education recognizes that students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) are primarily responsible for determining the students’ personal appearance (clothing, hairstyle, jewelry, headgear, hats, book bags, etc.). Students’ hair/hairstyles will not be considered a cause for dress code violation.
Schools are responsible for ensuring that a student’s personal appearance does not interfere with the health or safety of any student. At times, (spirit weeks, celebrations, etc.) schools may designate specific themed days for student attire. The following general standards will be in effect at all schools grade PK-12:
Mandatory and Allowable Dress:
- Students must wear a top, bottom and footwear while on school premises
- Items typically worn as undergarments must be covered by a shirt or pants
- Some courses (i.e. science labs, PE, electives, etc.) and school sponsored extracurricular activities may require adjustments to attire and hairstyle or specific attire (safety gear, athletic attire, uniforms, hair tied back, etc.)
Non-Allowable Dress:
- Items that expose private parts of the body
- Items with sexually suggestive language or messages
- Items that promote illegal or violent conduct, including but not limited to, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, weapons and/or gang affiliation
- Items that depict hate speech, intimidation or intolerance toward protected groups
- Items that are profane or legally libelous
These standards will be published and distributed to students, families and staff at the beginning of each school year; a copy will be kept in each school building.
Dress Code Enforcement
To ensure effective and equitable enforcement of this dress code, school staff shall enforce the dress code consistently using the requirements outlined in this policy. School administration and staff shall not have discretion to vary the requirements in ways that lead to discriminatory enforcement. Staff shall not confront students on dress-code violations in a manner that unnecessarily disciplines or publicly shames the student.
Students shall only be asked to change, cover or remove their attire if they are wearing non-allowable items identified above. Under these circumstances students shall have the following options to comply with the dress code for the remainder of the day:
- Wear their own alternative clothing, if available at school
- Wear school provided clothing
- Call a parent or guardian to bring alternative clothing
Graduation Adornments
Graduating students are expected to wear the attire customarily worn for the graduation ceremony at their school, with the specific exceptions outlined below.
A student may adorn the cap, gown, or stole customarily worn at their school with traditional objects of tribal regalia and/or objects of cultural or religious significance.
Students may be required to request permission to wear an adornment in advance, and the district reserves the right to prohibit any adornments that are obscene, defamatory, fraudulent, profane, threatening, inappropriate, or disruptive or violate the dress code in any other manner. If it is determined that the adornment would cause a substantial disruption based on reliable evidence, the student’s request may be denied. Students who wear adornments that have not been approved may be required to remove the adornment if the adornment is substantially disruptive.
Violation of this policy will result in parent/guardian notification of the violation; a parental conference may be held at the discretion of the building level administrator. More severe consequences may result from repeated or serious violations in accordance with policy, Policy JD/JR, Student Conduct and Discipline Code; JRR, Student Rights and Responsibilities; and Policy JDSE, Student Suspension/Expulsion.
Adopted: August 2000
Revised: June 2013
Revised: September 2020
Revised: June 2022
Revised: May 2025
LEGAL REF.: C.R.S. 22-32-109.1 (2)(a)(I)(J) (Board duty to adopt student dress code)
C.R.S. 22-1-142.5 (students permitted to wear recognized objects of cultural or religious significance at graduation that are not substantially disruptive)
CROSS REFS.:
Administrative Policies:
IMDB, Flag Displays
JBB, Sexual Harassment
JIC, Student Conduct
JICDA, Code of Conduct
JICF, Secret Societies/Gang Activity
JICH, Drug and Alcohol Involvement by Students
JICI, Weapons in School
JK, Student Discipline
JKD/JKE, Suspension/Expulsion of Students (and Other Disciplinary Interventions)
Lake County School District R-1, Leadville, Colorado