The Lakeland Regional High School administration has changed the Dress and Grooming policy for the 2023-2024 school year stating the previous code was too informal for a school environment.
According to Assistant Principal Rita Mazza and Chief School Administrator Hugh Beattie, the dress code was changed at a committee held over the summer where students and faculty recommended changes. Mr. Beattie explained, “Students and faculty suggested that the dress code needed to be revised to better show what was appropriate for a Learning Institution.”
Since the 2022-2023 school year, the dress code has become stricter from last year’s, adding more guidelines to what is acceptable school attire.
The Lancer Ledger reached out to LRHS students to get their opinions on the new dress code, and they overall seem content with the new dress code, most being bereft of complaints. However, some students have expressed concerns about the new dress code being too vague.
Senior Nicole Arzayus said, “The new dress code is okay. It is strict and vague like no form fitting clothing (is that for dresses, tank tops, pants, or all of the above[?])…”
Good judgment when selecting clothing for school is expected.
— LRHS Code of Coduct
Another common opinion is that the dress code isn’t enforced. According to senior Mia Kaplan, she feels like “because it’s not really enforced, anything that isn’t fair is simply overlooked.” This concern that the dress code is not enforced, and that students wear whatever they want was common among the students we interviewed. On the other hand, it could be that most people are adhering to the new standards put in place.
The dress code was revamped for the 2022-2023 school year after a grounp of students met with the administration with concerns that it was too strict, especially for girls. The version updated for this school year keeps in place the gender-neutral language and some of the more recent changes, such as the allowence of hats and some midriff.
At the current time, Ms. Mazza and Mr. Beattie report that there is no intention of future changes. For those to whom it pertains, the dress code can be found on page 15 of the 2023-24 Code of Student Conduct document, which can be accessed here.
