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Victoria school board discusses dress code at special meeting

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  • BY JULIAN CAVAZOS - JCAVAZOS@VICAD.COM
  • Originally published December 3, 2009 at 8:33 p.m., updated December 3, 2009 at 11:35 p.m.

  • Other Agenda Items

    Estella De Los Santos was elected to serve as school board secretary. The position was vacant after Ray Walden resigned from the board last month.

    The board will appoint a replacement for Walden. Beginning at 8 ...

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    • Other Agenda Items

    Estella De Los Santos was elected to serve as school board secretary. The position was vacant after Ray Walden resigned from the board last month.

    The board will appoint a replacement for Walden. Beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, anyone interested in representing District 7 may submit their letter of intent to the board at 102 Profit, Victoria, 77901. The board will accept letters until 5 p.m. Jan. 7 and then hold a special meeting Jan. 14 to decide on who to appoint.

    Next Board Meeting

    The board hopes to finalize the 2010-11 dress code at a special board meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at the Education Center.

Ranging from boys wearing earrings, shirts being tucked in and tattoos, the Victoria school board tossed around their thoughts Thursday about what they would like the 2010-11 dress code to be.

No action was meant to be taken at the workshop.

Some options include keeping the dress code the way it is, implementing the dress code committee's recommendations, and making it more standardized.

Board President Lou Svetlik said that whatever is decided on the dress code, the district must find a way to enforce it.

"We still have issues and complaints with enforcement," Svetlik said. "We can design any dress code we want, but how are we going to enforce it? I wish we could enforce the one we have right now. I have too many examples of people saying that we're not."

Tami Keeling, a trustee, would like the dress code to be clear.

"I very much favor clear rules versus subjective rules," Keeling said. "I am never in favor of the subjectivity standards of 'well-groomed' or 'fingertip length.'"

Trustee Estella De Los Santos believes the current dress code works just fine, she said.

"The surveys shows that students don't want standardized dress code" De Los Santos said. "The parents don't want a standardized dress code."

With Victoria East and Victoria West high schools opening next year, that will allow administrators and staff to handle dress code violators better, she said.

"When we get our smaller schools, a lot of this will be easier to put our hands around," De Los Santos said.

Trustee Ross Mansker said he prefers that students be required to tuck in their shirts. It prepares them for the real world, he said.

"When you get a job, you have to be dressed appropriately to go to work, and schools should be prepared for the real world when they get out there," Mansker said.

The board is expected to come to a consensus next week on next year's dress code.

In the meantime, the board is headed in the right direction, Keeling said later.

"We don't have to take a giant leap, but we need to get off the fence and start walking in the right direction," she said. "I think we're pretty close."


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Comments

  • myvu myvu Report a ViolationReport a Violation Permalink

    OMG, why is it so difficult for VISD to do anything. How many times and yeaars do they have to meet to discuss this? Just make a decision already. If the kids or their parents don't like it, too bad.

    December 4, 2009 at 7:44 a.m.
  • VISDMom VISDMom Report a ViolationReport a Violation Permalink

    Ms. De Los Santos is living in a dream world. Has she ever even stepped foot on the Senior or Stroman campus, especially just as school lets out? Has she seen the sagging, bagging pants that the males walk around HOLDING UP WITH ONE HAND, and the cleavage showing on the females? The current dress code is NOT "working just fine."

    As far as the surveys saying the students and parents don't want a standardized dress code, why listen to THIS survey's results? They've (the School Board) hasn't listened or necessarily gone along with any OTHER survey results (school names comes to mind). I guess only if the survey goes along with the way the board already thinks is it important enough to listen to.

    As far as the statement of "well, how do we enforce it?" What about, be the adults? What a concept! Send the student home, call the parent to bring other clothes, put the student in detention (I did not say ISS), something. I'm pretty sure the Hand Book actually says some or all of those things will be done. Why print the Hand Book if you will not adhere to it? And for those who say calling the parent will be a big inconvenience for the school AND parent - then the parent should know what the child is wearing and make sure it is appropriate. Teachers - send the student to the office if it is not appropriate.

    December 4, 2009 at 5:28 a.m.