To the Editor of the Paolite,

A significant issue in our school right now is the dress code, which is a source of contention for many PHS students. A survey was sent to students in grades 7-12 to gather their opinions on this topic. Responses were taken for about 48 hours, and a total of 112 students participated in the survey during this time. This level of engagement highlights how important the dress code is to many students and suggests that students feel strongly about how their attire affects them at school. 

Twenty-two students surveyed reported being dress-coded, forty-two students received a warning about their clothing choices, and eleven of these students reported they had been both warned and dress-coded. Fifty-nine students indicated they had never been dress-coded.

Many situations were described by those who were dress-coded or given a warning. The following are just a few scenarios:

“I was walking out of school, and (a staff member) dress-coded me bc a slit on my jeans was too high. I had walked all around school, and no one said anything, and it was on my mid thigh.”

“My shorts were mid-thigh, and I was fixing them because they were bothering me, and I got dress-coded for fixing them because I was ‘pulling them down’, and this teacher made me go change.”

“I had spaghetti straps on. The size of straps is no longer in the handbook.”

“I was wearing a Nike headband; they said that it was gang-related.”

“I was wearing a pair of pants, and there was a small hole on my thigh, and I got in trouble.”

These situations reveal a significant need for the dress code at PHS to have more consistent enforcement, while also respecting students’ freedom of expression. According to the survey, 61.6% of students who responded said that they feel the current dress code restricts their personal expression, which supports the necessity for a balanced approach that protects individual expression while ensuring steady enforcement of dress code policies.

The students surveyed consistently indicated that the majority of individuals who are dress-coded are girls. This is likely because girls have more “distracting” bodies than boys do. Many students also thought that girls who are more physically developed are dress-coded more often

Moreover, students also reported that boys are rarely criticized for their attire. Boys often wear shorts that are shorter than what girls wear (some girls have gotten dress-coded for long shorts), yet they rarely face any consequences. One student even reported that once a boy tested the dress code by wearing shorts that were very short and never got dress-coded or a warning. This highlights the double standard that exists in the enforcement of dress code policies between genders.

Students surveyed were also asked to share their opinions on what clothing items should remain restricted and which should not. The most commonly listed items that students believe should continue to be restricted include inappropriate symbols and designs (such as profanity, alcohol, drugs, guns, etc), booty shorts, tube tops, spaghetti straps, political clothing, shirts with holes all the way down the side, and boys’ shorts that show off their boxers. On the other hand, students believe that shorts that don’t reveal someone’s behind, tank tops, jeans with holes, expressive makeup, certain types of crop tops (as long as they don’t show too much stomach or back), shorter dresses, and hats should not be restricted.

When looking at the results of this survey, we have concluded that the dress code is a topic of concern within the school. There is a strong sentiment among students that there needs to be a consistently enforced dress code that respects personal expression while also maintaining appropriate standards. The very notable discrepancies in how dress code policies are applied to different genders further emphasize the need to address inconsistencies. Moving forward, there needs to be open dialogue between students, faculty, and administrators regarding their opinions on the dress code policies. This will help our school create an environment where all students can feel comfortable and respected.

Signed,

Kayla Barnett and Jayka Brown

Class of 2026