ONLY ONLINE: Corbin schools drafting new, stricter dress code for staff

The Corbin Board of Education is likely to vote sometime early next year on a stricter dress code and appearance policy for teachers and classified staff members – a move to bolster and tighten changes made to school system policies regarding the issue that were approved in September.

Corbin Schools Superintendent Ed McNeel confirmed this week that a special committee made up of administrators and staff of all the district’s schools has been meeting regarding the dress code. Action on the issue, he said, was initiated by a couple of principals in the district.

"It’s really just in the development stages right now. The committees have met and just provided me with a draft proposal but I haven’t got back with them on it yet and probably won’t get back with them until after Christmas," McNeel said.
McNeel would not provide the News Journal with a draft version of the policy.

In September, the district’s Board of Education approved changes to its policies and procedures which, for the first time, regulated the "dress and appearance" for staff members. McNeel said those policies were very general in nature and appealed to common sense rather than being specific. Under the current rules, staff members who violate the policy will receive verbal warnings. If there are continued violations, it is dealt with under policies regarding classroom disturbances.
A new policy would, out of necessity, be more detailed and strict. Assistant Superintendent Darrell Tremaine, who is coordinating the effort, said it would address things like visible cleavage, inappropriate logos, body piercings other than in the ear, bare midriffs, hats, short skirts or attire that is inappropriate for the situation like a math teacher lecturing in gym shorts.

"I think what is coming out of this is going to be more of a list of what you can’t wear, not what you can," Tremaine said. "Right now, the problem is that a principal may say a staff member’s dress is inappropriate, but the staff person will say it is not. In that situation, they really have nothing to go on. This policy is going to help that."

Tremaine said the new policy would allow principals the leeway to deviate from normal dress expectations on special days. It does not address things like hair styling and length or makeup.

McNeel stressed that problems among staff members of this nature are rare occasions.

"This is not a major problem in our schools," McNeel said. "I’m in the schools all the time and I don’t find teachers, or even classified staff, dressed inappropriately. Most of them are extremely professional. Every once in a while there is something you see that is a little questionable, but it is rare."

McNeel said administrators are only pursuing the policy at the urging of principals who want to have "a little more teeth" in current rules to deal with rare staff members who are habitually in violation of the rules. In those cases, staff would be dealt with under policies regarding insubordination.

Tremaine said a draft of the policy has been sent out to staff members at all the school for input. Another meeting of the dress policy committee will be held in mid January to incorporate the feedback and draft a final policy. It is slated to be presented to the Board of Education in February.