Dress Code

  • Washington Elementary School District (WESD) encourages students to take pride in their attire as it relates to the school setting. Students should dress in a manner that takes into consideration the educational environment of safety, health and welfare of self and others.

    District Dress Code Standards shall not interfere with individual choice regarding dress and grooming, with the following guidelines;

    Students must wear:

    • Clothing that covers body parts (buttocks, chest, abdomen, pelvis, back) with non-see-through material
    • Clothing that covers undergarments
    • School ID’s
    • Shoes with hard soles

    Students may wear:

    • Clothing that does not depict images/logos of alcohol, drugs, drug paraphernalia and/or weapons
    • Head coverings that allow face and ears to be visible
    • Religious headwear/face coverings
    • Tops or dresses with straps

    All dress code standards are gender-neutral and will be applied equally to all individuals, regardless of their gender.

    Mandatory Student Uniforms

    Mandatory school uniform policies must be planned and implemented in accordance with the following procedures:

    A. The process for planning and implementing any mandated school uniform policy must be facilitated by the school council and approved by the Superintendent or designee prior to initiating the process.

    B. The process for planning and implementing a mandatory school uniform policy must minimally include the following steps:

    1. Sharing information with and building knowledge among stakeholders regarding student uniform policies.
    2. Identifying the critical attributes of effective mandatory student uniform policies.
    3. Designing a proposed policy that embodies the identified critical attributes.
    4. Gathering input from stakeholders regarding the proposed policy.
    5. Making revisions to the proposed policy that are deemed necessary given stakeholder input.
    6. Familiarizing stakeholders with their role in implementing the finalized policy.
    7. Developing procedures for monitoring the effectiveness of the policy.
    8. Adjusting the policy, if necessary, based upon results of the monitoring process.

    C. Mandated school uniform policies must minimally include the following components:

    1. A "Statement of Purpose" that indicates that the purpose of the policy is to enhance a positive, productive and safe school environment that contributes to increased student achievement and that indicates the policy will not be applied to infringe on any established constitutional rights.
    2. An "Economic Hardship" provision that requires uniforms be provided without cost to any student whose family demonstrates that the acquisition of mandated clothing creates an economic hardship.
    3. An "Enforcement" provision which explicitly states the penalties for noncompliance, that students may be disciplined for noncompliance with the uniform code and that no student will be suspended out of school or expelled for noncompliance alone.
    4. A "Description of Uniform Requirements" section that describes the uniforms to be worn by the students (style of clothes, color, etc.). For example, the policy could state that the required uniform shall consist of all light blue tops with a collar (polo shirt, oxford style shirt, blouse) and solid tan bottoms (pants, shorts, skirts). Tops and bottoms may be purchased at any store and should not contain any logos.
    5. A "Phase In" provision that explains an initial time period when the uniform policy is optional. After the "phase-in" period is completed, the uniform policy will be mandatory.