Parents group to hold meeting tonight on school dress code

Founders of the Facebook group "Parents who want a voice regarding the Uniform Policy in CGPS" plan to host a meeting tonight to look at the Cape Girardeau School District's current dress codes and submit information for the school board to aid in making decisions regarding a uniform proposal for students.

Eric and Jennifer Redinger, parents of students in the district, have been engaging other parents, community members, school staff and school board members in online conversations and sharing information about meetings related to the proposal.

Jennifer Redinger said she is expecting some of the online group members, as well as some students, to attend the meeting, scheduled for 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

"What we are planning on doing is sitting down with whoever wants to and working on defining the current dress code a little more clearly to make it easier for educators to enforce," Eric Redinger said.

He said the attendees of the meeting are being asked to bring information on top-rated school districts that enforce stricter dress codes but don't require students to wear uniforms. Some examples he has already gathered show schools being successful having students wear their normal clothing, he said.

Some ideas Redinger said could be applied to the dress codes in Cape Girardeau schools are things such as requiring clothing to be tucked in or overlap; skin beneath the collarbones would not be allowed to show and sleeves should be worn to keep shoulders from being visible, he said.

"We'll try to make it as easy as possible to enforce using the current dress code as the backbone," he said. Redinger said he hopes the group can then put together a document based on the current dress code and submit it to the school board and the dress code committee for review before a vote on the proposal written by the committee. That vote is tentatively scheduled for the board's regular meeting Feb. 27.

"We want to make sure they have some information to review they can compare to the proposal," Eric Redinger said.

'Too strict'

Jennifer Redinger said the goal is for students to be allowed to wear their everyday clothes.

"We just feel the proposal is too strict," she said.

According to the proposal created by the staff dress code committee, students would be required to wear a short- or long-sleeved collared shirt in any color that met a certain length requirement; khaki, black or navy pants, capris, shorts, skirts, skorts or jumpers that met a certain length requirement. T-shirts would be allowed under pullovers or zippered jackets. Belts would be required for fifth grade and up, and shirts would not need to be tucked. Jeans would be allowed on school-designated "Spirit Days."

The committee made some concessions in the proposal last week before it was presented for a second time to the school board during a work session. Originally, the proposal stated only four colors of shirts would be allowed, only khaki or black bottoms could be worn, shirts would always need to be tucked and no jeans would be allowed.

Two public forums hosted by the school district this month on moving to a uniform policy in the 2012-2013 were well-attended and brought out many negative opinions of the possibility of implementation. Others spoke in favor of a uniform policy, citing a need for fewer distractions in the classroom. As of Monday, the district had received about 60 emails in regard to the dress code, according to the district office. School board members have also received numerous emails about the dress code.

Eric Redinger said the meeting tonight is not for members of the public to debate but is being held for people who want to promote the current dress code and make it easy to follow. The meeting is open to the public.

School board president Stacy Kinder said the board will look at and consider the information submitted by the group as it does for all ideas, comments or proposals.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

301 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO