KLS Dress Code:
Observations and Improvements

presented by Juniper Williams,
last revised August 30th, 2022

During the first week of the 2022 - 2023 school year, I’ve heard several complaints about the dress code. In the spirit of examining KLS’s structures and values, I thought it would be valuable to examine the dress code closely, and compare it to dress codes from other schools.

In examining the dress code, I’ve found a few core values that an ideal dress code would adhere itself to. The first is that the clothing students wear should not compromise their ability to learn, or the learning ability of others. To that end, students should be comfortable both with their own clothing and, to a lesser extent, the clothing of their peers.

In examining these dress codes, I have found that the two main formats dress codes can follow are explicit, clearly-defined codes with little room for staff interpretation and flexible, loosely-defined codes that place most of the responsibility of judgment on teaching staff.

The structure of this proposal is largely comparative. I have taken the liberty of selecting several dress codes from other schools and finding similarities and differences between them and KLS. After those comparisons, I have examined how I think each dress code could inspire improvements to KLS’s, or what they do that KLS could steer away from. At the end of the document, I have presented some conclusions and final recommendations, separated from the examinations of the schools that inspired them.

Also, this document is relatively long. Most of the observations I have taken from my reading are here, in the observations section following KLS’s dress code, and in the conclusion. If you just want to read about what I’m suggesting, I would start there. If you want to follow my thought process, evidence, and reasoning, I would read the document as it is presented.

KLS Dress Code

Most recent revision as of August 30th, 2022 [Source]

Text of dress code

KLS asks students to come to school dressed to learn. They are expected to dress in a manner that demonstrates respect for the school environment and the KLS community.

The following guidelines will help students make good choices about what to wear to school.

Clothing must be clean and tidy.
Clothing must be sufficient to conceal undergarments at all times.
Clothing must cover the chest, stomach, sides, back, and buttocks completely at all times (both when stationary and during all movement and activity).
For students participating in Outer Wellness, clothing and shoes must be suitable for physical activity.

The following are not allowed:

Any clothing that is too short or too revealing, as determined by the school, including, but not limited to, mesh/sheer/see-through materials, halter tops, tube tops, and muscle shirts
Pajamas
Clothing with printing determined by the school to be offensive

Students have the right to dress in accordance with their gender identity, within the constraints of the dress code.

The school has sole discretion to determine if a student’s attire adheres to the dress code. Those who are not properly dressed will be asked to change clothes. Parents may be notified of dress code violations. A violation may result in disciplinary action, as determined by the school.

Observations and criticisms

Although I’m about to dispense a high volume of criticism to KLS’s dress code, I feel I should first state that it is not without merit, far from it. Several of the dress codes I’ve looked at for this project have been, in my eyes, significantly worse in many ways. KLS’s dress code also has a few traits that I think are strong examples of a specific policy area, above the majority of other dress codes I looked at. Only a few of the dress codes I looked at for this proposal shared an explicit lack of distinction between genders or sexes; I think that setting the intention of inclusion for a community is valuable, and I think this is something KLS does a above-average job of already. Additionally, KLS puts the responsibility of following the dress code on its students, something only a few other dress codes I read did. This aligns with and supports KLS’s goal of empowering students to practice independence and proactively adhere to the guidelines of their spaces.

As I have interpreted it, KLS’s dress code currently falls uncomfortably between the two main archetypes I mentioned in the intro, those being a dress code that leaves almost all subjective interpretation to teaching staff and one that leaves almost no subjective interpretation to teaching staff. KLS’s dress code is acceptably detailed in some areas, and unfortunately lacking in others. Notably, the phrase “printing determined by the school to be offensive” provides very little guidance for students and teachers to determine what qualifies as inappropriate.

The categories of clothing KLS forbids are not, in my opinion, well justified or defined. Additionally, the consequences of that ambiguity are reinforced by the stance the administration has taken in regard to uncertainties students may have about the dress code. During the community meeting that took place on August 30th, 2022, when asked about wearing pajamas at school, Dave said that “if [students] have any doubts [about whether an article of clothing follows the dress code], don’t wear it.” While this could be an acceptable enforcement policy for a dress code that is sufficiently detailed and unambiguous in all areas, KLS has an unfortunate combination of ambiguity and unjustified policies that do not coexist well with this approach to enforcement.

I’ve also noticed that KLS’s banning of pajamas is missing a parallel in almost all of the dress codes I looked at for this examination. The closest analogue I found was that some dress codes forbade students from having unaccompanied or uncovered underwear, but KLS has a separate policy for undergarments not connecting to pajamas.

Mountain View / Los Altos Dress Code

Most recent revision as of August 30th, 2022 [Source]

MVLA’s dress code is included because it represents the closest public high school to KLS.

Text of dress code

Mountain View / Los Altos High School District’s student dress code supports equitable educational access and is written in a manner that is inclusive and respectful of all persons’ race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income or body type/size.

The student dress code supports our goal of inspiring students to learn while leaving primary decisions around student clothing and style to students and their parent(s)/guardian(s).

Our expectation is that parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring student compliance with the school’s dress code, and students are responsible for knowing the student dress code and for complying during school hours and school activities.

Allowable Dress

Students must wear clothing including both a shirt with pants or skirt, or the equivalent, and shoes.
Fabric must be covering the chest, buttocks and genitals and must not be see-through.
Clothing must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities including physical education and the safety requirements of science, culinary and engineering labs.
Specialized programs or extracurricular activities may require specific attire, such as performing arts, or athletics uniforms or safety gear.

Non-Allowable Dress

Stand-alone undergarments
Clothing may not depict, advertise or advocate:

the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other controlled substances (examples: beer logos, Playboy Bunny, “Cookies” brand, etc.)
pornography, nudity or sexual acts
hate speech targeting groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation or any other protected groups
Violence, weapons, or organized crime, nor be worn if recognized as an identifier of a gang or hate group

Consequences

First Offense: change/add clothing; also, meet with A.P. if clothing is under the “non-allowable” listing.
Second Offense: Send to A.P. for parent contact/conference, change clothing.

Comparisons with KLS

KLS’s “Guidelines” passage and MVLA’s “Allowable Dress” passage

“Guidelines” passage	“Allowable Dress” passage
Clothing must be clean and tidy.
Clothing must be sufficient to conceal undergarments at all times.
	Students must wear clothing including both a shirt with pants or skirt, or the equivalent, and shoes.
Clothing must cover the chest, stomach, sides, back, and buttocks completely at all times (both when stationary and during all movement and activity).	Fabric must be covering the chest, buttocks and genitals and must not be see-through.
For students participating in Outer Wellness, clothing and shoes must be suitable for physical activity.	Clothing must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities including physical education and the safety requirements of science, culinary and engineering labs. Specialized programs or extracurricular activities may require specific attire, such as performing arts, or athletics uniforms or safety gear.

Observations:

MVLA is more lenient in terms of coverage requirements
KLS’s code does not explicitly require articles of clothing, only that they meet the general requirements it outlines
MVLA is more broad in its language regarding additional requirements for specific classes; this is likely due to the much larger scale of MVLA and the wider variety of courses offered

KLS’s “Not Allowed” passage and MVLA’s “Non-Allowable Dress” passage

“Not Allowed” passage	“Non-Allowable Dress” passage
Any clothing that is too short or too revealing, as determined by the school, including, but not limited to, mesh/sheer/see-through materials, halter tops, tube tops, and muscle shirts
Pajamas
	Stand-alone undergarments
Clothing with printing determined by the school to be offensive	Clothing may not depict, advertise or advocate: the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other controlled substances (examples: beer logos, Playboy Bunny, “Cookies” brand, etc.) pornography, nudity or sexual acts hate speech targeting groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation or any other protected groups Violence, weapons, or organized crime, nor be worn if recognized as an identifier of a gang or hate group

Observations:

MVLA is significantly more lenient in terms of the types of clothing it explicitly disallows, those being stand-alone undergarments. In addition to forbidding undergarments from being shown, KLS disallows several types of tops and pajamas.
MVLA has a much more specific policy regarding what qualifies as offensive. KLS’s policy states that clothing is offensive if it is determined to be offensive by the school which, while allowing for more flexibility and power in the hands of teaching staff, is also more opaque to students and is more difficult to contest if a student believes the dress code is being applied unfairly.

General observations and conclusions

MVLA states that “parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring student compliance with the school’s dress code” while KLS “asks students to come to school dressed to learn.” This aligns with KLS’s ideals of student agency and independence, although most high school students (in my experience) are expected by their parents and guardians to know and follow their school’s dress code, so this is largely not an impactful passage.

KLS’s dress code states that students must “conceal undergarments at all times,” while MVLA takes a more flexible approach by forbidding “stand-alone undergarments.” I think the most significant difference between these two similar policies is that KLS’s dress code forbids tops that don’t fully hide bra straps.

Overall, I find MVLA’s dress code to be more specific in areas that KLS’s is vague, and more lenient in areas that KLS is strict. I think that lenience and specificity are two qualities that I value in dress codes, so I hold MVLA’s dress code as a strong example of what KLS could be working towards.

Homestead High School Dress Code

Most recent revision as of August 30th, 2022 [Source]

Text of dress code

Although District Board Policy and Administrative Regulations subscribe to the philosophy that grooming and style of dress is primarily a matter between the student and parent, Homestead High School does have both mandatory and discretionary guidelines. The following mandatory guidelines are enforced at school and at school events.

Students may not:

Go shoeless
Wear gang-related clothing, colors, or symbols
Display vulgar or obscene images, language, or symbols
Display references to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco

Students wearing inappropriate clothing will be required to change or be sent home for a change of clothing. If students repeatedly fail to follow the dress code, further consequences may be assigned.

Comparisons with KLS

KLS’s “Not Allowed” passage and Homestead’s “May Not” passage

“Not Allowed” passage	“May Not” passage
Any clothing that is too short or too revealing, as determined by the school, including, but not limited to, mesh/sheer/see-through materials, halter tops, tube tops, and muscle shirts	Go shoeless
Pajamas
Clothing with printing determined by the school to be offensive	Wear gang-related clothing, colors, or symbols Display vulgar or obscene images, language, or symbols Display references to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco

General observations and conclusions

Homestead’s dress code is significantly more vague than KLS’s in all areas except for describing what qualifies as offensive clothing.

Given the miniscule volume of regulations presented by Homestead, it appears more as a “common sense” check than a rigorous code to apply to students’ clothing. This provides the notable advantage that the dress code is significantly less formal and more dynamic than a strict document that requires updating. It also has a similar downside to KLS’s dress code, that being that if students feel they are being unfairly treated with regards to the dress code, there isn’t a structure for them to appeal through.

I think that Homestead provides a strong counterexample to the MVLA dress code. While MVLA appears to emphasize rigor and specificity, allowing little room for teacher interpretation, Homestead focuses on flexibility and places almost all decisions regarding student clothing in the hands of their staff. While KLS incorporates some aspects of both of these dress codes, I think it would be served by choosing a direction to commit to, rather than allowing some aspects to be decided by staff in the moment and some to be decided by staff before the start of the school year.

Menlo-Atherton High School Dress Code

Most recent revision as of August 30th, 2022 [Source]

Text of dress code

In an effort to maintain the atmosphere for learning in the Sequoia Union High School District and at Menlo-Atherton High School, students will dress in a manner that is appropriate for school. Clothing that disrupts the learning environment, any headgear or clothing accessories determined to be inappropriate to school or that presents a safety concern to others will not be allowed.

Clothing and Accessories:

Shirts and shorts should be appropriate for school.
No sagging pants allowed. No undershirt type tank tops are allowed at any time unless worn underneath other clothing.
No dominant colors are allowed if determined to be gang-related (i.e. shoes, socks, pants, necklaces, shirts in one color, head gear, bandanas and belts).
No chains (wallet or waist) or jewelry with spikes, razor blades, pistols, marijuana leaves, or drug insignias are allowed (EC 48900).
No clothing items with guns or any other symbols of violence are allowed.
No clothing, binders, bags, etc. displaying logos of racist groups, gangs, obscene language, vulgar gestures, racist, ethnic or sexual symbols, or slurs or symbols of hate, prejudice, intolerance or discrimination.
No obvious gang related logos such as “XIV”, neighborhoods, street names, or bay affiliations on binders, bags, clothing, etc. No vulgar language, drugs (including mushrooms), or alcohol/liquor symbols or words.

If students are in any way affiliated with gang activity, those students may be restricted from wearing red, blue or any other dominant color deemed inappropriate including jewelry, necklaces, hats, or accessories of any kind.

The dress code is a dynamic document. These restrictions are subject to periodic review. Upon consultation with local law enforcement agencies, or other experts, additional rules which restrict gang associated dress may be instituted by the school at any time with notice to students and parents. Students may be restricted from wearing dominant colors (i.e. red/blue), jewelry, necklaces or accessories of any kind.

Consequences for Dress Code Violations:

1st offense: Student will be warned that their clothing is not appropriate for school and this will be documented in Infinite Campus. If the clothing option is not acceptable, the student will be brought to the AVP office and required to change before continuing on with the school day.
2nd offense: Student will need to report to the AVP office and change before continuing on with the day and a parent or guardian will be notified.
3rd offense: Student will need to report to the AVP office, parent will be notified, and the student will be assigned a consequence.

If a student refuses to change clothing not appropriate for school, or consistently comes to school with inappropriate clothing, he/she will be suspended from school for one day.

Comparisons with KLS

KLS’s “Not Allowed” passage and Menlo-Atherton’s “Clothing and Accessories” passage

“Not Allowed” passage	“Clothing and Accessories” passage
Any clothing that is too short or too revealing, as determined by the school, including, but not limited to, mesh/sheer/see-through materials, halter tops, tube tops, and muscle shirts	Shirts and shorts should be appropriate for school. No sagging pants allowed. No undershirt type tank tops are allowed at any time unless worn underneath other clothing. No chains (wallet or waist) or jewelry with spikes, razor blades, pistols, marijuana leaves, or drug insignias are allowed (EC 48900).
Pajamas
Clothing with printing determined by the school to be offensive	No dominant colors are allowed if determined to be gang-related (i.e. shoes, socks, pants, necklaces, shirts in one color, head gear, bandanas and belts). No clothing items with guns or any other symbols of violence are allowed. No clothing, binders, bags, etc. displaying logos of racist groups, gangs, obscene language, vulgar gestures, racist, ethnic or sexual symbols, or slurs or symbols of hate, prejudice, intolerance or discrimination. No obvious gang related logos such as “XIV”, neighborhoods, street names, or bay affiliations on binders, bags, clothing, etc. No vulgar language, drugs (including mushrooms), or alcohol/liquor symbols or words.

General observations and conclusions

The Menlo-Atherton dress code has a lot in common with Homestead’s; both almost exclusively outline what constitutes offensive clothing and leave the rest to the discretion of staff. The examples and guidelines given in this dress code also make it pretty clear that Menlo-Atherton is very concerned about students displaying gang affiliation, which I haven’t noticed being a problem at KLS. Again, similarly to Homestead, I think KLS could decide to take a “hands-off” approach to its dress code and outline only clothing disallowed for inappropriate messaging, letting staff decide what students shouldn’t be wearing otherwise.

Menlo School Dress Code

Most recent revision as of August 30th, 2022 [Source]

Text of dress code

Students should dress for school in a manner that allows them to participate fully, safely, and comfortably in school activities. Students are expected to set an appropriate example for their peers. Specifically, students must wear clothes that cover their underwear (no boxer shorts or bra straps showing) and are not transparent, and must wear shoes at all times. Students may not wear offensive or inappropriate T-shirts or outfits that are excessively bare, such as tube tops, low-cut tops, bare midriffs, or skimpy shorts or skirts. Additionally, hats, hoods, or baseball caps should not be worn inside the classroom or during assembly. Expectations of field trip attire may differ depending on the location. Teachers will talk to students about appropriate dress before each trip.

Parents should address Menlo’s dress code with their children at home before coming to school in the morning and also while shopping for school clothes. Teachers or advocates will address students who are not suitably dressed for school, and parents will be contacted if a pattern develops. As we view discipline as a cooperative effort between parents and the School, we expect parents to be supportive of School values.

Comparisons with KLS

KLS’s dress code and Menlo School’s dress code

Khan Lab School	Menlo School
“KLS asks students to come to school dressed to learn. They are expected to dress in a manner that demonstrates respect for the school environment and the KLS community.”	“Students should dress for school in a manner that allows them to participate fully, safely, and comfortably in school activities.”
“Clothing must be sufficient to conceal undergarments at all times.”	“Specifically, students must wear clothes that cover their underwear (no boxer shorts or bra straps showing) …”
“Any clothing that is too short or too revealing, as determined by the school, including, but not limited to, mesh/sheer/see-through materials, halter tops, tube tops, and muscle shirts”	“... [clothes may not be] transparent …” “... [students may not wear] outfits that are excessively bare, such as tube tops, low-cut tops, bare midriffs, or skimpy shorts or skirts.”
“Clothing with printing determined by the school to be offensive”	“Students may not wear offensive or inappropriate T-shirts …”
	“... [students] must wear shoes at all times.”
	“... hats, hoods, or baseball caps should not be worn inside the classroom or during assembly.”

Observations:

Menlo School has a far stricter dress code than any of the others I looked at for this project. KLS does not require that students wear shoes (except during outer wellness or to follow safety precautions in e.g. lab sciences) nor does it prevent students from wearing hats or hoods indoors.
Despite the issues I take with the ambiguity present in KLS’s dress code, Menlo School provides a strong example of how much room there is to get worse. “Skimpy” is the antithesis of precise language and has no place in a formally defined dress code.
I believe that Menlo School provides little to no material for KLS to adapt into its own dress code. Thankfully, it provides myriad examples of what I think conflicts with the values KLS aims to hold with its dress code and can therefore be used as an example of what to avoid.

Palo Alto High School Appearance & Dress Policy

Most recent revision as of August 30th, 2022 [Source]

Text of dress code

Appearance and dress must be within the limits of decency, cleanliness, and appropriateness for school, and shall not interfere with teaching and learning. Shoes and shirts must be worn at all times. Appropriate tops and bottoms are to be worn at all times. An example of inappropriate clothing would be wearing underwear as the outermost layer of clothing. Bathing Suits are not proper attire for school. Any clothing advertising or displaying alcohol, illegal substances or activities and all gang-related apparel are strictly prohibited.

Comparisons with KLS

Paly’s dress code has many commonalities with Homestead’s, discussed earlier. The main difference between Paly and Homestead is that Paly’s dress code is much stricter in specific areas than Homestead. Rather than outlining what constitutes inappropriate messages for clothing to contain, Paly focuses more strongly on outlining specific examples of inappropriate clothing in terms of coverage. The language of “appropriate tops and bottoms” strikes me as unfortunate, and I think Paly would be served by either removing that phrase entirely or by expanding more on what they mean by appropriate. This code gives some examples of what inappropriate tops and bottoms look like, but it seems like they could have left the “appropriate tops and bottoms” phrase implied.

I think that most of the inspirational material presented in Paly’s dress code could also be found in Homestead’s dress code. The only substantive changes Paly has in respect to Homestead are a lack of specificity in regard to appropriate images and prints and an unnecessary amount of specificity regarding clothing coverage. I think that Paly, like KLS, could benefit from leaning more firmly into either of the two archetypes of dress code I outlined in the introduction to this project.

Piedmont Middle School Dress Code and Grooming Policy

Most recent revision as of August 30th, 2022 [Source]

Piedmont’s dress code was included to represent a middle school, as each of the other dress codes included here are from high schools.

Text of dress code

Students must be covered from the neckline to the knee.
Student’s bellies and backs should not be visible.
Pants/shorts should not have holes, rips, or tears above the knee.
Undergarments should be concealed at all times. No see through fabrics, halter tops, tank tops, off-the-shoulder, low-cut tops, bare midriffs and skirts or shorts above lower-thigh are prohibited.
Appropriate shoes must be worn at all times. Open-toed shoes, flip-flops, Crocs or backless shoes, Slippers/Slides or “house shoes” are not allowed for school.
Clothing, accessories and jewelry that contain obscene symbols, signs or slogans, and/or which slur or degrade based on race, religion, ethnicity, sex, disability or sexual orientation, contain language or symbols supporting sex, drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, and impose a threat of imminent violence or disruption to the orderly operation of the school shall not be worn.
Caps, hoods, beanies and hats may be worn outside to protect you from weather; however, they are not to be worn indoors for both boys and girls.
Pajamas may not be worn to school.
Students in violation of the dress code will be counseled and given alternative clothes to wear, parents called to deliver a change of clothing to the site or change into your PE clothing. Repeat offenders will receive detention.

Comparisons with KLS

KLS’s dress code and Piedmont Middle School’s dress code and grooming policy

Khan Lab School	Piedmont Middle School
Clothing must cover the chest, stomach, sides, back, and buttocks completely at all times (both when stationary and during all movement and activity).	Students must be covered from the neckline to the knee. Student’s bellies and backs should not be visible.
Clothing must be clean and tidy.	Pants/shorts should not have holes, rips, or tears above the knee.
Clothing must be sufficient to conceal undergarments at all times.	Undergarments should be concealed at all times.
Any clothing that is too short or too revealing, as determined by the school, including, but not limited to, mesh/sheer/see-through materials, halter tops, tube tops, and muscle shirts [is not permitted].	No see through fabrics, halter tops, tank tops, off-the-shoulder, low-cut tops, bare midriffs and skirts or shorts above lower-thigh are prohibited.
For students participating in Outer Wellness, clothing and shoes must be suitable for physical activity.	Appropriate shoes must be worn at all times. Open-toed shoes, flip-flops, Crocs or backless shoes, Slippers/Slides or “house shoes” are not allowed for school.
Clothing with printing determined by the school to be offensive [is not permitted].	Clothing, accessories and jewelry that contain obscene symbols, signs or slogans, and/or which slur or degrade based on race, religion, ethnicity, sex, disability or sexual orientation, contain language or symbols supporting sex, drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, and impose a threat of imminent violence or disruption to the orderly operation of the school shall not be worn.
	Caps, hoods, beanies and hats may be worn outside to protect you from weather; however, they are not to be worn indoors for both boys and girls.
Pajamas [are not permitted].	Pajamas may not be worn to school.

Observations:

Piedmont is unique in that it is the only school I observed whose dress code includes an analogue to KLS’s ban on pajamas.
Piedmont provides a more rigorous definition of what qualifies as offensive clothing printing or accessories.
Piedmont has a much stricter policy regarding clothing coverage: In addition to disallowing clothing that is too revealing of the chest or back, Piedmont doesn’t allow skirts or shorts below a certain minimum length. Unfortunately, they define this length as lower-thigh, a range that could conceivably be as long as seven or eight inches and is therefore almost completely up to a staff member’s discretion in any ambiguous case.

The Girls’ Middle School Free Dress Days Policy

This revision of the document is updated as of the 2020 - 2021 school year. Unfortunately, I do not have access to a newer version of this document. [Source]

The Girls’ Middle School was included both as another middle school for consideration and also because, for most of the year, students are required to wear a uniform. However, GMS has several days each year (“Free Dress Days”) on which students are allowed to wear clothing other than the normal uniform requirements. Free dress days have their own clothing guidelines, which I have included below.

Text of Free Dress Days policy

On Free Dress Days, students are not permitted to wear clothing items or accessories with inappropriate slogans, or displaying prohibited substances (such as alcoholic beverages, marijuana, or cigarettes), sexually suggestive comments, racial/hate slogans, obscene words or profanity, or offensive symbols. Students arriving at school dressed in a manner deemed inappropriate may be asked to change. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action.

Comparisons with KLS

As I outlined in the introduction, the two dominant types of dress code I identified were dress codes that eliminate as much subjectivity as they can and dress codes that lean into the judgment of their staff and purposely leave wide areas of their dress codes open to subjectivity. GMS’s Free Dress Days policy is perhaps the most extreme example of the latter I have read so far.

While Homestead gives one (1) explicit guideline for the items of clothing that students may wear in a manner that does not relate to the printing and messaging of that clothing, GMS gives zero (0). The entirety of the Free Dress Days policy is dedicated to outlining what inappropriate printing or messaging could look like at GMS, and leaves all judgments related to the types of clothing up to staff discretion and, presumably, some degree of jurisprudence.

Conclusion and Final Suggestions

As it stands, I see KLS’s dress code as falling awkwardly between the two main archetypes of dress without fully committing to either. From what I’ve researched, I think KLS could update its dress code to be more serving to its students by relaxing some of the requirements for clothing and either committing to a model similar to MVLA’s, detailed and explicit in almost every regard, or by stripping away all of the unnecessary detail and committing to a model similar to GMS’s.

I believe that since KLS is already an environment where change and growth in the school’s systems can be achieved without as much effort as would be required at other schools, the advantages of adopting a minimalist set of policies like those used at Homestead and GMS would be largely meaningless. Therefore, I think that KLS would be most served by revising its dress code to follow a more explicitly detailed model like that used by MVLA and Paly. For the reader’s consideration, I have drafted a hypothetical example of what KLS’s dress code could look like under this model, and one under the model used by GMS and Homestead. They are both included at the end of this document.

I appreciate you taking the time to read through this (admittedly unwieldy) document and to be open to the feedback I have presented here. I don’t think anything I have presented here could be adopted without further consideration, but I do think that the resources I’ve collected could lead to a productive conversation regarding the current state of the dress code and improvements and changes to it that could be considered and eventually implemented. In the meantime, feel free to contact me or leave comments on this document with any feedback or questions you have about the content, observations, and arguments I’ve made here.

Appendix A: Proposed MVLA-Type Dress Code

KLS expects students to come to school dressed to learn, in a manner that demonstrates respect for the school environment and the KLS community.

Students have the right to dress in accordance with their gender identity, within the constraints of the dress code.

KLS asks students to follow certain guidelines regarding their clothing:

Fabric must cover the chest, buttocks and genitals and must not be see-through.
Clothing must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities including outer wellness and the safety requirements of lab sciences.
Specialized programs or extracurricular activities may require specific attire.

KLS also asks that students avoid some items when deciding what to wear at school:

Fully visible undergarments
Clothing that depicts, advertises or advocates:

the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other controlled substances (examples: beer logos, Playboy Bunny, “Cookies” brand, etc.)
pornography, nudity or sexual acts
hate speech targeting groups based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, religious affiliation, or any other protected groups
violence, weapons, or organized crime

Clothing that is recognized as an identifier of a gang or hate group

Depending on the severity of the dress code violation, the school’s response may range from a discussion of dress code guidelines or a request for the student to change clothes up to disciplinary action or contacting a student’s parents.

Appendix B: Proposed GMS-Type Dress Code

KLS expects students to come to school dressed to learn, in a manner that demonstrates respect for the school environment and the KLS community.

Students have the right to dress in accordance with their gender identity, within the constraints of the dress code.

KLS would like students to avoid inappropriate clothing, whether that clothing is inappropriate because it is too revealing or because it violates the expectations of the community KLS cultivates.

If a member of the staff feels that a student is not dressed appropriately, they may start a conversation with the student or ask them to change clothes. Depending on how severely the staff member feels that the student is violating the dress code, that staff member may pursue disciplinary action or contact that student’s parents.