One of the first high school stereotypes that comes to mind is the strict dress code. Most schools enforce dress codes that control what students can and cannot wear, yet they are often majorly directed towards girls. However, this changed when Cherokee County School District (CCSD) recently decided to modify their dress code.  

At the latest CCSD School Board meeting, the board members voted to make changes to the 2022-2023 Code of Conduct. The new dress code section says that it is up to the schools to determine what they deem appropriate according to each situation. They proposed this change to make the dress code fair to every gender and easier to understand. Dr. Brian Hightower, CCSD Superintendent, said that once school starts, he plans to gather a committee of students, parents, and teachers to review the new dress code and propose additional changes.  

“I like the new dress code because it allows people to wear more of a variety [of clothing] and can spread creativity,” Kolton Thornton, senior, said.  

The old dress code was a set of rules that each school in CCSD had to follow and enforce. Some stated that pants should not have any holes above the knee, no hats were allowed, and shorts could be no more than 5 inches from the knee. Many believed that the dress code was unfair because most of the rules only applied to girls and prevented students from expressing themselves by restricting their clothing choices.  

“The old dress code was really unfair on girls, especially with shorts. I feel more comfortable wearing shorts now that they got rid of the super strict dress code,” Madison Hall, junior, said.  

If one has any concerns or questions about the new dress code, click here to access the 2022-2023 Code of Conduct.