Weakley County School Board Updates Dress Code Policy for Students

The Weakley County School Board approved a policy to allow solid color t-shirts to the County School dress code at their September board meeting. Cupples stated that the change came after feedback from administrators. According to the policy, the business card size logo will still apply to t-shirts worn.

Previously students were only allowed to wear school colors if they chose to wear a solid color t-shirt, but this new policy states that any solid color shirt is okay.

There was some concern from parents who took to social media to express their views, that the school board waits too long to implement changes like these with the school year already a month underway and clothing items for the year already purchased. A similar situation happened a year ago when the board voted to temporarily permit students to wear solid color t-shirts until Labor Day due to certain schools in the area posting on social media that students could wear solid color t-shirts and parents using the tax free weekend to school shop for their students just to be told later by the board that solid color t-shirts were not permitted in the dress code policy.

At that particular meeting, the board discussed the issue and board member John Hatler said that the board had a level of responsibility regarding the matter. “There was a 3–4-day window where incorrect information was available online. I hate for children to have a hardship on our behalf. Maybe we can allow students to screen-print so it doesn’t financially impact families. We need to try to do something to alleviate short-term and utilize resources we have,” Hatler expressed. He suggested allowing parents to bring T-shirts purchased during the tax-free weekend to the screen-printing shop at Dresden High School for school logos to be added to the shirts.

While the board didn’t vote on the screen-printing at DHS, WCS Communications Director Erica Moore later clarified the confusion by noting, “Equipment, on-hand material, necessary resources, and logistics are all considerations that will be matters of discussion for the board at a later time.”

“All students who attend Weakley County Schools are permitted to wear attire that is outlined in the School Board Dress Code Policy, as well as solid colors (T-shirts) until Labor Day,” Weakley County School Board vice-chair Josh Moore said.

At the Thursday's school board meeting, Weakley County Schools Director Jeff Cupples said, “As it was put in when we amended it during COVID last time, the spirit wear was to try to build school spirit and if it's a solid T-shirt and it's in those school colors, the policy reads that it's at the principal's discretion on that."

The Weakley County Schools Policy reads, "The principal or designee has the authority to determine if any attire is improper, detrimental to the teaching-learning process, or prejudicial to good order at the school."

Weakley County Schools Dress Code Policy for 6th-12th-graders has changed over the years, most allowing students to not have to tuck in their shirts, not have to wear a belt, solid-colored hoodies and spirit wear and school organization T-shirts.

With the new policy now active, Cupples stated that even though this was the first reading of the policy that it will go into effect immediately.