MANSFIELD — Students at Mansfield Middle and Senior High School won’t have to wear campus wear from April 11 through the end of the school year.
The Mansfield City school board voted 5-0 Tuesday night to drop the campus wear requirement and implement a dress code for a pilot period, which will start after spring break.
Over the summer, a committee will discuss the outcomes of the trial period and make a recommendation to the board for the 2023-2024 school year.
“We will see how this works, if it’s better or if it’s worse. There is a reason we went to uniforms to begin with,” board vice president Chris Elswick said.
“We have to create a situation where kids can learn and teachers can teach. They can’t spend all day on dress code — whose dress is too short, whose top is too low-cut. We can’t do that.”
Board members and staff say conversations about campus wear aren’t new, but a steering committee highlighted the issue during a board meeting last week.
The committee recommended dropping the campus wear requirement for a trial period and finalizing a permanent dress code over the summer. After a presentation by chief academic officer Stephen Rizzo, other staff, students and community members asked the board to adopt the group’s recommendations.
Cline said the board appreciated the input and took it into account, but wanted time to review the proposed changes before making a decision.
“As a board, we’ve collectively decided that we will not vote on things immediately when they’re brought to us for the first time, to allow us to make adjustments, to make the best decisions for the environment,” she explained.
“We generally allow ourselves the time to review and consult with our administrative team and different leaders within our collective body to make those decisions. That’s why we call a second meeting.”
The board also approved the steering committee’s recommended middle and high school dress code after making a few small revisions.
The proposed dress code was developed by a group of teachers and administrators who looked at the district’s existing dress code for K-6 students compared to dress codes at other schools.
“A dress code does not mean you wear anything you want, it means that we have established those guidelines for kids,” Rizzo said.
Richland Source was not immediately able to obtain a copy of the approved dress code, but school officials said it will be made available to students, parents and community members soon.
The board made changes to allow “lightweight” jackets with zippers in class, leggings worn under other clothes and Crocs with a heel strap.
“We’re concerned about safety and making sure people are not bringing in items under large coats, but we do want students to be able to wear something that keeps them warm,” Cline said.
Leggings must be worn with another piece of clothing like a skirt, dress, sweater dress or romper on top. That piece of clothing must be long enough to extend below a student’s fingertips when their arms are down at their sides.
Students wearing Crocs will be required to have the strap against their heel, which board members said is for safety reasons.
Sweatpants will not be permitted for middle and high school students.
Board members urged students and teachers to respect the new rules.
“We trust the children, our students, our teachers and our parents to do the right thing and show us that they can handle this,” Elswick said. “We’re completely supportive of that.”
Board member Linda Golden, who retired from Mansfield City Schools as a career tech instructor, spoke directly to the students in attendance at the meeting.
“You have to be good stewards of this,” she said. “Whatever happens over the next seven weeks and how you handle this is going to make a difference for future kids.”
Golden said she was happy the board was making changes.
“I taught here for 13 years under campus wear. It was terrible,” she said. “I’d love to see the words ‘campus wear’ just gone.”
Senior High Principal Robert McQuate declined to comment on the updated guidelines. Principal Jason Douglas of Mansfield Middle School said he was not in favor of the changes at the middle school level.
Douglas said he believes his students have benefited from the structure and consistency of campus wear.
“I deal with seventh and eight graders. Their maturity level is not the same as a high school student,” he said. “What I see from them when they can wear whatever they want — to me, it’s just not appropriate for school.”
“Once a kid gets older — juniors, seniors — I think they have the ability to choose. But 12, 13 and 14 year olds, in my opinion as a father and a principal, they do not.”
Rizzo said he was grateful that the board chose to consider, and ultimately approve, the dress code changes. He told the board the cost of uniforms has become a concern for some families.
“Our number one thing coming out of the pandemic is, we need kids in school,” Rizzo said.
“Our students have a wide variety of needs, they come from a wide variety of backgrounds. If there’s an issue with clothes, that shouldn’t be the barrier that keeps you out of school that day.”
Rizzo said he hopes the changes will boost morale among staff and students.
“When you talk to the kids and you look at their comments, they care about being dressed comfortably and, to the extent possible, being able to express themselves,” he said.
Brad Strong, president of the Mansfield School Employees Association, was also pleased with the board’s decision.
“This is what democracy looks like,” he said.
