Schools all over the country have different rules on what you can and cannot wear during the school day. What various school boards consider as revealing and “inappropriate” clothing are prohibited as well as some other accessories. PHS is no exception to this universal standard.

At Portsmouth High School, students are not allowed to wear skirts/dresses that are “too short” (and no hems that are above the bottom tip of fingertips with arms and hands straight down by the sides), tops that are “too low-cut and/or expose cleavage”, transparent clothing, spikes on shoes/jewelry/clothing, pants/shorts that are “worn high or low enough to allow for exposure”, and clothing that involves “offensive or gang-related wording or messages”.

Portsmouth High School Senior, Siara Carrillo Tracey, said the dress code should be “more specific” and questioned “How does apparel (including footwear) assist in the proper maintenance of school property?”

PHS Sophomore, Madison Mccann, believes that girls should be allowed to wear halter and tube tops to school, skirts and dresses/skirts shouldn’t have to be as long as the code says they have to be, and she stated “school dress code is sometimes a good thing because it prevents students from wearing things that are too racy.” Madison Mccann also admitted that she has worn prohibited clothing to school, and when she did she didn’t get “caught” by a teacher and “no one really noticed.”

In La Marque, Texas the local high school’s dress code is a bit more extensive than PHS. The school board prohibits colored hair and extensions (“extreme hair styles”), piercings (other than ears and nose studs), tights/spandex/leggings (unless worn during gym class), see-through clothing, pants worn below the hip bone, pajamas, clothing that shows shoulders, back, hips, “buttocks”, and much more. At the end of the list the school’s website states clearly, ”The district’s dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, prevent disruption, and minimize safety hazards”.

All the way across the country in Cerritos, California, Whitney High School also has a dress code but it isn’t as lengthy or descriptive. WHS dress code states that students aren’t allowed to wear spaghetti straps, clothing that shows the waist, no pajamas or slippers, halter or off the shoulder tops, no waist chains or saggy pants, headwear, spiked jewelry, holes in jeans that are between waistband and 5 inch inseam, and states that short length skirts/dresses are okay, but that the faculty has the last call on what is appropriate.

If you get caught violating the dress code at PHS, the Student Handbook says “students will be sent to the grade office immediately. Students will be required to call parents for a change of clothing if needed and must change before returning to the classroom.”

These rules are somewhat controversial between students and teachers and could be an ongoing battle throughout PHS history.