Higley Unified School District is looking to update its student dress code policy for the first time in more than 20 years, a topic district officials acknowledge is polarizing.
The district's governing board took a first look at a proposed policy at its May 10 meeting, and the divergent comments from board members underscored the tightrope the district will have to walk to update a policy that was last approved in 2001.
One section of the revised language drew scrutiny. The section read that attire may be prohibited when it “exposes the wearer’s midriff, undergarments, or undergarment areas.” Board Member Amanda Wade said the language has a disproportionate impact on females.
“I mean, we have stomachs at the end of the day,” she said. “I think some of the things that we do and how we write or how we enforce some of these things, I just don't see how that impacts the learning environment of anyone. And, B, there are certain aspects that as a female especially, and it's hot in this state, there are times you're going to see my bra strap. It exists.”
President Tiffany Shultz also objected to a double standard placed upon females.
"It makes a female feel bad about her body and that we're saying that they need to cover up because the way it might make someone else feel,” Shultz said “And that is wrong in 2023. We shouldn't be doing that. There shouldn't be a time when teachers need to make sure a top meets the jeans or looking at an inch to make sure that you're not showing a teeny bit of your stomach.”
Board Member Kristina Reese agreed that the policy falls disproportionately upon females and does not want teachers spending time on figuring out if dress complies with the code. But she did see it as a potential distraction in the learning environment.
“When you have boys and girls and something could be potentially exposed then and hormones, that could be disruptive to others just on natural behavior,” she said. “And so it's like, how do we keep not having them distract each other?”
Reese said she believed students often are harder on other students as to what is acceptable to wear.
“I would like at some point that we do check with our students,” she said. “We're up here talking about what may or may not make someone comfortable or uncomfortable. It's their learning environment.”
Board Member Anna Van Hoek said wearing appropriate clothes to school is part of learning to be professional. She also called for parents to be part of the discussion.
“The unfortunate thing is, no, we do not want children to be sexualized, but the problem is it happens,” she said. “Unfortunately, it happens not only by adults but also by other students. How awful would it be if because of, let's say, we don't put a limit on how short a shirt can be and somebody does wear a sports bra to school and there's an incident and something happens at school between two students. Who's ultimately responsible for that? The district? Does that open us up for a lawsuit?”
Wade said she agreed parents should be discussing appropriate dress with children at home, but countered that the district make decisions based on what others might do.
“Within the home you have absolute right and control to do so (set dress boundaries),” Wade said. “But perpetually trying to avoid the negative behaviors of others by telling them that this is something they should police only perpetuates that negative behavior.”
Superintendent Dawn Foley said the district’s policy team will take the input from the board and try to shape something to bring back to it.
“Obviously this is one that will take us some time to get something that I think that would capture the perspectives that you've shared with us,” she said.
Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on Twitter. We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
Tom Blodgett Senior News Editor | Gilbert @sp_blodgett
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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