The Iowa State Board of Education recently rejected a dress code instituted by the Waterloo school board.
The state board said the rules went beyond the authority allowed by state law.
The state board’s lawyer said the board's decision was based on a law that allows schools to prohibit clothing but doesn’t let them require that students dress in a certain way.
Iowa lawmakers are considering a bill allowing schools to prescribe a standard dress or uniform if officials determine the policy would improve the health, safety or positive educational environment. School boards may currently establish a dress code that bans gang-related or other specified apparel if the board determines that the code is necessary for the health and safety of students and staff or for the appropriate discipline and operation of the school.
Twenty-two states have enacted legislation authorizing school districts to implement dress code and/or uniform policies. In states where no policy exists (including Nebraska), it can be assumed that districts can require dress codes and/or uniforms. Court rulings and attorney general opinions in an additional four states have upheld the right of districts and schools to set dress requirements.
No state requires students to wear uniforms.
One state, Massachusetts, prohibits the use of dress codes unless there are health or safety issues.
Traditionally uniforms have only been worn in private schools, but parents, teachers and school administrators around the country are incorporating uniforms into more and more public schools. School uniforms can remove visible economic differences between students as well as creating a more orderly learning environment. School uniforms can be convenient for parents, as they spare shopping time, and make mornings go more smoothly. But students want the freedom to express themselves through dress.
Will the desire for school uniforms eventually make its way across the Missouri into NNebraska.
