Dress Code
Amarillo ISD’s dress code is established to contribute to a safe and distraction-free professional learning environment and to teach grooming and hygiene.

Student dress and grooming is primarily the responsibility of students and their parents; however, the school’s responsibility is to maintain a proper atmosphere for learning at school. Personal appearance is an important factor in developing and maintaining such an atmosphere.

Style is very important, but some types of dress and grooming are more appropriate for specific types of activities and/or locations than others. Experience has shown that extremes in dress and grooming lead to disruption of the learning process.

Regular Dress Code

The following information is taken from Board Policy FNCA(LOCAL) (opens in a new window) Student Conduct – Dress Code and the Student Handbook.

Purpose
The District's dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, instill discipline, prevent disruption, avoid safety hazards, and teach respect for authority.

General Guidelines
Students shall be dressed and groomed in a manner that is clean and neat and that will not be a health or safety hazard to themselves or others. The District prohibits any clothing or grooming that in the principal's judgment may reasonably be expected to cause disruption of or interference with normal school operations.

The District prohibits pictures, emblems, or writings on clothing that:

1. Are lewd, offensive, vulgar, or obscene.

2. Advertise or depict tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other substance prohibited under FNCF(LEGAL).

The student and parent may determine the student's personal dress and grooming standards, provided that they comply with the general guidelines set out above and with the student dress code outlined in the student handbook.

Extracurricular Activities
The principal, in cooperation with the sponsor, coach, or other person in charge of an extracurricular activity, may regulate the dress and grooming of students who participate in the activity. Students who violate dress and grooming standards established for such an activity may be removed or excluded from the activity for a period determined by the principal or sponsor and may be subject to other disciplinary action, as specified in the Student Code of Conduct. [See FO series]

The principal of each school has the authority to make final decisions on questions of dress and grooming that in the principal’s judgement may reasonably be expected to cause disruption of or interference with normal school operations.

Any student not adhering to the guidelines presented below shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action. (See Board policies FO Policy Link (opens in a new window), FOA Policy Link (opens in a new window), FOD Policy Link (opens in a new window).

If the principal determines that a student’s grooming or dress violates this policy, the student shall be given an opportunity to correct the problem at school. If not corrected, the student shall be assigned to in-school suspension for the remainder of the day or until the problem is corrected.

Repeated dress code offenses may result in more serious disciplinary action.

Items of clothing that shall not be worn to school include: 

• Gang-associated clothing or colors; as identified by law enforcement agencies
• Clothing items that reference violence, death or suicide
• Clothing items that reference alcohol, tobacco or drugs
• Clothing items that reference vulgar or obscene language or pictures
• Clothing items that can be seen through
• Head coverings/headwear worn inside buildings or in common areas, except for religious reasons or with prior principal/teacher approval
• Costumes
• Pajamas
• Visible underwear and lingerie
• Garments worn above mid-thigh (slits and holes included)
• Garments worn below the hips
• Backless tops
• Bare midriffs or torsos
• Halter tops
• Low-cut necklines (shirts/tops)
• Spaghetti straps (shirts/tops)
• Strapless (shirts/tops)
• Shoes with wheels
• House shoes or slippers
• Bare feet

Religious exemptions may apply.

Schools who have adopted a standardized dress code follow their campus-specific guidelines. See the Standardized Dress section below.

Principals, in cooperation with coaches and sponsors, may adopt additional guidelines as they deem appropriate for students who participate in extracurricular activities.

Principals may approve limited exceptions to the dress code for certain campus-initiated events or special days such as Spirit Day, Hat Day, Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Day, etc.

Standardized Dress

The following information is from AISD’s policy on standardized dress [Board Policy FNCA(LOCAL) (opens in a new window)]. Standardized dress is not as restrictive as a uniform, but students are required to wear clothing that adheres to certain guidelines established by a campus committee.

Schools that currently have a standardized dress code include: 

• Emerson Elementary
• Glenwood Elementary
• Tradewind Elementary
• ***In addition, George Washington Carver Early Childhood Academy and Woodlands Elementary asks that students wear tennis shoes to school every day.