Friday, April 19, 2024
The Gatesville Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a couple of modifications to the student handbook on Aug. 8 that will allow students to have neatly trimmed beards as well as nose studs.
One change that had been considered previously was to allow different hair colors, but a decision was made that only natural hair colors would be allowed.
Because of legal issues, school districts no longer regulate hair length.
GISD Superintendent Barrett Pollard said he noticed over the summer several girls who had nose studs which are barely visible. The board approved those but are prohibiting the more noticeable hoops.
Regarding beards, Pollard said there are not many students who would be impacted by that.
"I don't know if we have many students who would be able to grow them," he said.
Board member Jimmie Ferguson said he rarely is contacted about anything related to school policy, but he has gotten several calls and comments from people and that "100% are saying no nose rings. That's all ages telling me that, from students to older adults. I haven't heard from anyone in support of them. When I ask them why, they say it's not appropriate in school. I am getting more feedback on that than everything else combined. Based on that, I can't support nose rings. On beards, I don't care one way or the other."
Board member Calvin Ford said he heard opposite reactions from people regarding nose rings or studs.
"Students, teachers and people in the community said, 'It's about time,' Ford said, adding that some said that "too much time was spent worrying if you have a nose ring or a beard."
Board member Cheyenne Kizer said she received similar comments.
"People said, 'Man this is great – so much time is wasted' worrying about those things," Kizer said. "In light of whether it's a distraction in the classroom, it's more of a distraction trying to monitor those things and send kids out of the classroom (to the office)."
Board member Linda Maxwell said she had talked to people and they told her they were not opposed to the nose studs, "but they're very opposed to the rings."
Ford said he received positive feedback from staff who want to focus more on education.
"Teachers I talked to are all for it," he said. "They're ready to teach instead of focusing on (dress code issues)."
Kizer said she talked to a teacher "who was thrilled" to focus more on instruction."
Maxwell said it is more difficult for teachers who enforce dress code issues.
Pollard said that is a big reason for the changes.
"The impetus behind this is all the time and effort spent enforcing this," he said. "It's been a draining, taxing process. It's so divisive and polarizing."
Some board members said that staff should have to follow the same dress code set for students, but board Vice President Charles Alderson said he believed it was fine to offer more privileges to staff than to students.
"I think you give more leeway to a teacher than to a student," he said. "I disagree that students should be allowed to have whatever teachers have."
Board President Charles Ament suggested revising the policy for one year "and then coming back and revisiting it. It's a one-year experiment to see how kids behave. If it causes all kinds of problems and disruptions, then we can change it."
Pollard said the decision to allow nose studs but not rings "a nice compromise – finding middle ground. It allows administrators to focus on whether doors are being locked (to protect students in the classroom) and classroom instruction. This is a good middle of the road decision."
