At Oak Hills High School (OHHS), everyone is affected by the dress code. The dress code of conduct applies to everyone. In comparison to past school years, the dress code of conduct has become more strict.
When viewing the current school year (2024-2025) student handbook, on page 45, it displays the school dress code and all of the rules that apply surrounding attire. In the student handbook from past school years, although rules and permission are similar, it is visible to the naked eye that it is less strict than the current school year’s dress code. Examples from the 2024-2025 code of conduct include: shorts must reach mid-thigh, tops must cover shoulders, and cropped shirts must touch the pants or shorts. Further, overcoats or out-of-door coats aren’t allowed without special permission, tattoos with “obscene” meanings aren’t permitted along with disruptive hair color or style. In contrast, the 2019-2020 handbook on page 19 states that tops should extend past the shoulders but does not specify lengths for shirts or shorts, leaving it to discretion. It also notes that overcoats cannot be worn indoors without special permission, which is less specific than the “overcoats or out-of-door coats” rule in the 2024-2025 handbook.
There is no information or rules against tattooing or hair color/style mentioned at all in the 2019-2020 version of the Oak Hills handbook. Looking further into this topic, the school board of education is the leading cause of this. The OHHS Board of Education is in control of what is on the student handbook and how it is displayed. They have power over the district on what should be enforced upon and what isn’t as important of a focus. The school board was directed to be more straightforward with the dress code and to have what was specifically against violation put down on the dress code of conduct. Principal Travis Hunt of OHHS compares the school board to the “legislative branch” and himself to the “executive branch”, illustrating the power divide: the board sets the rules, while Mr. Hunt and other staff enforce them. This school year, OHHS has changed rules in the dress code to become more strict, however, the staff at OHHS is not being entirely more strict in comparison to last school year. Dress code violations are noted on student records. A written violation is typically issued only if a student refuses to change out of the offending clothing item, such as shorts, pants, or a shirt. Students must replace the item with one provided by the school and are given multiple chances to change into compliant clothing. The student dress code has tightened, and it’s unclear if this trend will continue. A recent poll of 45 students revealed that 38 were unaware of where to find the OHHS student handbook, which might contribute to ongoing dress code violations. To access the handbook, visit the OHHS page and search “student handbook.” This knowledge of the school’s conduct has the potential to help lower dress code violations.
