Principal Jaime Rodriguez told Beeville ISD trustees during their Tuesday meeting that the decision to make the change came about following a survey of about 100 students and numerous staff and community members.
“I asked the students why they felt other students were not completing high school,” he said. “Out of 100 responses, 86 were the dress code.”
He asked the students what they wanted to change.
“I was amazed the answers weren’t that far-fetched,” he said. “They wanted some flexibility.”
The current dress code allows only solid colored shirts.
Rodriguez said he hopes the change will keep kids in school.
“(The students) feel the reason their peers are not coming is they can’t dress the way they want to,” he said.
Veronica Alaniz, assistant principal, said that allowing the students some freedom also might help the TAKS scores by keeping kids in class.
“When you give a little, you get a whole lot in return,” she said.
The kids, she said, told her, “We just want to wear some stripes. We just want to wear some plaids.”
No changes were proposed to the other grade levels.
“The kindergarten and elementaries have a more strict code,” Alaniz said. “When you are in eighth grade or sixth grade, you want to go to high school so you have more freedom,” she said.
The proposed dress code still prohibits wording or graphics on shirts depicting lewd, offensive, unpatriotic, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, violence, or improperly suggestive themes.
“The shirt must have sleeves and cover the midriff,” Alaniz added. “We wanted to cover everything as simple as we possibly could.”
The original dress code was created in 2003 when the schools were plagued with offensive and inappropriate slogans and graphics on shirts.
Rodriguez said, “We don’t have a problem with vulgarity. I am not saying there hasn’t ever been.”
Superintendent Dr. John Hardwick Jr. said that they would need to look into whether trustees would need to approve the new code or if Rodriguez could make the change.
None of the trustees voiced disapproval of the change though.
“I would be supportive of it. I am a believer that if you give a little, you get a lot,” said Velma Elizalde, board secretary.
Jason Collins is the editor at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 121, or at editor@mySouTex.com.
I’m not being overboard, a standard was set, and it has improved the educational environment at Jones, why change it. I really believe you should address the parents, why aren’t your kids going to school, because they can’t were stripes? Get a better hold of your family.
Who knew???
LOL.... what a joke !!!
thanks for the laugh !!