Friday, May 17, 2024
The Gatesville Independent School District Board of Trustees is considering policy changes for students and staff, which will mostly stay the same but will allow some facial hair for students, some "unnatural" hair color and nose studs/small hoops.
"Those were the big three issues (which staff reviewed and then submitted for the school board)," GISD Superintendent Barrett Pollard said.
Board members Mary Anne Leib and Calvin Ford both said they supported all three, while board Vice President Charles Alderson voiced some initial reluctance in allowing facial hair.
"My personal opinion differs from what I think is best for the district," said board member Cheyenne Kizer. "I don't think (the changes) will be a distraction that would take away from students' ability to learn. My personal opinion is 'dress for success.'"
Board President Charles Ament said the primary focus of the dress code should be to ensure that the things that would cause a distraction and impair students’ ability to learn should be prohibited.
"The key for me is, what do you all think is distracting these days?" Ament asked.
Pollard said the district's leadership spent an extended amount of time discussing the dress code with an emphasis on doing what is needed "to prevent distractions in the classroom."
"We as a board are elected by the people of the community," Alderson said. "What is the community going to say?"
"It depends on the person," Pollard said.
Board member Jimmie Ferguson said whatever is allowed for staff should be allowed for students.
"I don't know why we have different dress codes for staff and another for kids," he said.
Ferguson said he was aware of a conversation in which a teacher with a beard told a student he had to shave, and the student noted that the teacher had facial hair.
"He was told when he got a master's degree, he could grow a beard, too," Ferguson said. "To me that's condescending. I want us to be consistent, and it's important that we all agree."
One difference the board has allowed is that staff should be required to wear pants except for coaches during athletic periods or maintenance workers, while students are allowed to wear shorts.
"The impetus behind (the changes) is that more and more parents are challenging it (certain dress code restrictions) legally and winning," Pollard said. "It's a balance of having students look good and upstanding and giving them some freedom."
Kizer said if district administrators were content with allowing facial hair, some hair color and nose studs, she values their opinions.
"If a team of administrators put these suggestions together, that's where I put my pen down. I respect your opinions," she said.
Pollard said rather than focusing on minor dress code infractions, staff could instead focus on "What's most important."
The board gave administrators the authority to review the three items in question (facial hair, hair color and nose studs) and to make a determination of what should be allowed.
Pollard said he appreciated that, adding there are other major areas to devote more attention toward.
"We have bigger fish to fry," he said. "We are concerned about giving students the best education, preventing an armed intruder and addressing a huge budget deficit."
