Bay County District Schools issues statement on dress code policy

Update:

The Bay District School Board has released a statement saying they are not implementing uniforms and that the district will be releasing a clarification statement on Tuesday morning.

Dear Parents and Guardians:

I hope this message finds you well and enjoying your evening. We wanted to address a mix-up that you may have seen in a news story earlier tonight.

In the story, our BDS spokesperson was inadvertently confused, leading to a bit of misinformation about our dress code. Rest assured, we are NOT implementing uniforms this year. There are no changes to the dress code that has been advertised on our back-to-school website: https://bay.k12.fl.us/…/BDS%20Dress%20Code%2024-25%20SY…

We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. We will be releasing a full statement tomorrow morning to clarify this situation for all stakeholders.

Thank you for your understanding and patience and please accept our apologies … we strive to communicate frequently, transparently and correctly and this situation does not meet our own standards let alone your expectations.

From Bay District Schools Facebook Page

Original Story:

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – Bay District School officials will be doubling down on the school dress code policy this school year.

They’re going back to what some call “school uniforms,” with students required to wear clothing reflecting the approved school colors. The district relaxed the dress code following Hurricane Michael, but those days are gone.

“This year, we’re going to follow the policy and make sure that it’s implemented across the district. We’re asking all principals and parents to assist us because the most important person in this journey is the parent. We’re going back to wearing our solid shirts, our school colors, so that we can make certain we have who we should have on campus at all times,” Director of Student Services Andra Phillips said.

Students were able to wear solid-colored shirts and bottoms. The shirts will be the school colors.
They can be either a polo or button-up style with a collar. They can also wear school-approved t-shirts. The bottoms can be skirts, or slacks, in black, khaki, or blue denim.

K-8 students do not need to worry about the collar, just the color, but, both sets of students are required to wear closed toed shoes.

“It’s something that our principals have been asking for as well as our community. They see kids coming in with inappropriate things on, and they wanted us to take a step up and expect our students to do so as well. That’s why we were asking the parents to step up and help us make sure that things that they purchased for school are appropriate for a school setting and making sure, of course, that we’re keeping all the students safe by knowing who is on campus based on how they’re dressed and what they’re wearing,” Phillips said.

District officials say the stricter dress code addresses concerns over student safety, mental health, and the need to cultivate a professional environment.

“This is something they’ll do for the rest of their lives. You won’t have a doctor with bedroom shoes on and a torn-up t-shirt operating on you. We are building doctors, astronauts, lawyers, teachers. We expect our students to be dressed for success,” Phillips said.

Phillips says by reinforcing the dress code, the district is putting the “A” back in Bay County.
If students are not in compliance with the dress code, their parents will be receiving a phone call.

To learn more about the dress code policy, you can call student services at 850-767-431 or you can visit their website .

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