Dress and Grooming Code

  • The District’s Dress and Grooming Code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, instill discipline, prevent disruption, avoid safety hazards, and teach respect for authority and the work environment. Students shall be dressed and groomed in a manner that is clean and neat, not a distraction, and in a way that does not create a health or safety hazard. The District prohibits any clothing or grooming that, in the principal’s judgment, may reasonably be expected to cause distraction, interfere with normal school operations, or create a safety hazard. The student and parent may determine the student’s personal dress and grooming standards, provided that they comply with the following Dress and Grooming Code:
    • Students must wear their ID at all times when at school or traveling to and from school using District transportation. 
    • Student clothing must completely cover the student’s torso and legs in the undergarment area. Shirts and blouses must be buttoned or snapped to conceal all skin to 3 inches below the collar bone.
      • Pre-K–5th Grade Only: Shirts and blouses must have at least one-inch coverage between the shoulder and neck. Spaghetti straps are not allowed. 
      • 6th Grade–12th Grade Only: Students may not wear tank tops, strapless dresses, or spaghetti straps. Tank tops are not allowed, regardless of the width of the straps. Short sleeves must be at least square with the shoulders. Shoulder-less tops are not allowed. 
    • Students can wear shorts, skirts, and/or dresses, provided they do not expose undergarments or private body parts.
    • All pants, shorts, and skirts must be worn at waist level. Sagging and loose pants, shorts, or skirts are prohibited. 
    • Jeans or pants with holes, shorts, skorts, and leggings that do not expose undergarments or private body parts are acceptable. Garments must cover all undergarments at all times, whether in standing, reaching, stooping, bending over, or sitting positions.  
    • Tops that are torn, ragged, frayed, or contain holes are not permitted without appropriate coverings underneath their garments, such as undershirts. 
    • Tights, leggings, jeggings, bike shorts, and other skin-tight/form-fitting pants must be worn with shirts, skirts, “skorts,” or shorts that extend and cover the buttocks. 
    • Any clothing articles designed as underwear or sleepwear may not be worn as outerwear.
    • All undergarments, in their entirety, must be concealed at all times, including straps and boxers. 
    • The chest, midriff, and buttocks should be covered at all times with non-see-through material. Undergarments must not be seen while standing, reaching, stooping, bending over, sitting, or making other movements.
    • Hats, caps, sweatbands, bandannas, sunglasses, other headwear, and hoods on hooded jackets or pullovers may not be worn inside the school building.
      • Students undergoing or recently receiving chemotherapy or any medication causing hair loss may wear head coverings approved by the campus principal.
    • Hair, by color or design, may not distract from the learning environment. Nonnatural hair color is permitted as an accent. If designs are shaved into the hair, they must be school-appropriate and may not condone or represent drugs, gangs, alcohol, profanity, violence, obscenity, or anything deemed inappropriate by the school administration.
      • Hair spiked or arranged in a disruptive or distracting style will not be allowed. This includes, but is not limited to, Mohawk haircuts.
    • Eyes must be visible at all times and not covered by hair or other objects, unless approved by the campus principal based on a medical physician’s authorization.
    • Footwear must be worn at all times. Shower shoes and beach shoes, house shoes, slippers, or shoes with wheels or lights are prohibited. Students must have shoes that are safe and appropriate for a normal school day or participation in school-related activities. Medical shoes may be worn with a medical physician’s authorization.
    • Students may not wear tongue rings, lip rings, eyebrow rings, ear gauges, spacers, facial jewelry such as hoops or rings, or facial decorations. They may, however, wear one small nose stud.
    • Jewelry that distracts from the instructional environment is unacceptable.
    • Any class, student organization, or school-sponsored group t-shirt designed and intended to be worn at school must receive final approval from the campus principal.
    • Distracting or excessive make-up is prohibited.
    • Clothing, grooming, and overall appearance may not reflect gang affiliation by any means, whether intentional or unintentional. The Sherman ISD Police Department will maintain a list of gang-affiliated attire and grooming.
    • Students may not wear any clothing article that depicts or advertises alcohol, tobacco products, drugs, violence, or behavior perceived as lewd, offensive, vulgar, or obscene.
    • Metal chains (e.g., wallet chains, belt chains, etc.), costume clothing or costume accessories, metal hair picks, and blankets are prohibited.
    • Students are expected to be in compliance with the dress code at any school-related event or activity; school officials have the authority to ask students to leave if they are inappropriately dressed.
      • Note: The principal, in connection with the sponsor, coach, or other person in charge of an extracurricular activity, may regulate the dress and grooming of students who participate in the activity and may impose higher standards.

  • See the figure below for the required areas that must be covered at all times:

    Chest to three-inches above the knee must be covered.