The Bellmawr Board of Education believes that the appearance and dress of teaching staff members is an important component of the educational of this district. The attitude of teaching staff members about their professional responsibilities and the importance of education in the lives of their students are reflected in their dress and appearance. Accordingly, in order to create an atmosphere of respect for teachers and an environment conducive to discipline and learning, the Board establishes the following rules for the dress of teaching staff members in the performance of their professional duties.
A. Grooming and attire shall meet the following criteria during school.
1. Be physically clean, neat and well groomed;
2. Dress in a manner reflecting his/her assignment;
3. Dress in a manner that does not cause damage to district property; and
4. Dress and be groomed in such a way so as not to cause a health or safety
hazard.
5. Appropriate “Bellmawr” school apparel.
B. Grooming and attire not acceptable during school hours:
1. See-through tops, halter tops, midriff/crop tops, low cut tops, tank tops, camisoles not covered by another garment or transparent slacks;
2. Excessively short or tight-fitting clothing;
3. T-shirts of any kind or apparel which can be construed as an undergarment;
4. Sundresses without appropriate shoulder coverage;
5. Any dress, jewelry or grooming which would attract undue attention;
6. Any type of flip flops;
7. Shorts (except for physical education teachers and custodians during the summer) that are not part of a suit or an outfit;
8. Leggings that are not worn under a dress or tunic that comes to mid-thigh;
9. Sneakers (except for physical education teachers or those with validated medical excuse);
10. Work boots, hiking boots, beach clogs/crocs;
11. Skirts shorter than two inches above the knee;
C. Special Rules
1. Severe Weather Conditions: Dress standards may be modified by the
Principal to permit more casual attire on days of delayed opening or early dismissal due to inclement weather. This modification recognizes that staff members may have to shovel snow, etc. in order to arrive at work in a timely manner. Standards may also be modified in times of excessive heat.
2. “Dress Down Days”: As scheduled and approved by the school Principal in
keeping with a theme day or activity program. More casual attire may be
worn by staff members in keeping with the school program. However, such
clothing must be linked to the school activity. For example, T-shirts are
acceptable on a school spirit day, but T-shirts unrelated to the school are not.
However, staff members scheduled for a parent or professional meetings are
expected to follow the standard professional dress requirements.
3. Physical Education: Teachers may wear clothing appropriate to their subject
areas. This includes athletic jackets, golf shirts, slacks, shorts, warm-ups and
appropriate footwear.
4. Jeans are permitted on Fridays and Professional Development days unless
otherwise noted by Administration. Provided they are not worn, frayed or torn.
5. An employee may request a waiver of this dress code for the performance of
particular duties; such waivers may be granted by the Superintendent.
6. Other employees, those involved in the cafeteria, transportation, maintenance
and custodial staff shall wear appropriate clothing to accommodate their
working situations.
7. District/school nurses shall wear scrubs and/or nursing jackets at all times.
They shall be permitted to wear crocs.
8. Using a cell phone during instructional time for personal purposes is not
permitted.
9. Substitute/temporary employees are subject to the same expectations for dress
and grooming.
10. C.A.R.E. employees are to wear their “staff” shirt and closed toed shoes while
at work.
D. Prior Approval:
1. Any request for an exception for medical reasons (e.g. footwear) is to be
discussed with the Building Principal and appropriate medical
documentation must be provided. Prior approval is required for any
deviation from policy. If an employee is uncertain as to the appropriateness
of a garment, a brief written description of the clothing he or she desires to
wear should be submitted to the Principal. The Principal shall respond in
writing to the employee within three days.
E. Enforcement:
1. The Building Principal or the employee’s supervisors, as appropriate, shall
determine whether a violation of this dress code has occurred and shall
discuss the violation with the employee concerned. This discussion shall be
considered a verbal warning and shall be documented as such. Any recurring
violation will be noted in memo form between the administrator and staff
member. A third violation of this policy will result in a letter of reprimand
to employee with a copy placed in the personnel file. Repeated offenses will
result in more stringent disciplinary measures.
Any exceptions to this policy will be made by the Superintendent of Schools and disseminated to staff. The Superintendent will inform staff of the date in September when this policy will be in full force and effect.
Adopted: 23 September 2008
Revised: 20 September 2010
Revised: 17 November 2011
Revised: 19 June 2019