School Changes – Middle Toughens ‘Dress Standards”

COURT HOUSE — Middle Township school pupils who refuse to change into the proper “standard of dress” will face a more stringent first offense penalty:  a 90-minute detention.
That change, introduced at the June 22 board of education meeting, is expected to be adopted in time for the September start of school.
The detention is added to the current policy for first offenses of a  warning and the student could either obtain the appropriate clothing from home or buy it at the school store.
Students are not allowed to return to class until they comply with the standard. They are also sent home, unexcused, until they returned in compliant dress.
Board member Matthew Buesing, chair of the Discipline Committee, who introduced the proposed change, said at the outset, it was considered that students who disregarded the dress code would not be allowed to participate in any activities for five days, but that proposal was removed.
Superintendent Michael Kopakowski said the decision to remove the activity restriction was made at the request of the high school’s administration.
“Flip flops were again, not acceptable,” said Kopakowski.
Unacceptable, as in the past, are cargo pants, with outside pockets.
Still under discussion, said Buesing, was the “possibility of required gym uniforms in high school.”
If any decision is made, it’s a long way off.
Buesing said that “possible implementation” could be in 2007-08. He said more discussion would take place on the matter of uniforms for gym classes.
Contact Campbell at (609) 886-8600 Ext 28 or: al.c@cmcherald.com