Dress codes

Dressing Rite
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By MARILYN BROWN mbrown@tampatrib.com
Published: Mar 10, 2006
TAMPA

"Some years it's flip-flops. Others, the messages on T-shirts.

This year, too much flesh is driving some Hillsborough County school board members nuts.

"I don't want to see no bellies, no boobies, no butts," said Susan Valdes, a school board member pushing for changes in both the student dress code and in enforcement. "

However despite some dress code changesd last years banning certain types of footwear, kids kept wearing them because of lax enforcement.

Students wore the supercasual shoes at some schools anyway, and school
administrators were told to step up enforcement of the code in a consistent,
countywide effort.

That hasn't happened, but Superintendent MaryEllen Elia vows things will be different when a new school year begins in August.

"We're not going to let this go," Elia said. "This will be more formalized. We're going to get this settled before parents have already gone out and bought their kids' clothes."

Tough To Enforce
Parents may be informed earlier, but school administrators said that doesn't mean they'll take note. It's also tough to monitor between 1,000 and 2,000 students at each middle and high school, where most violations occur.

Solution: Let them wear uniforms.