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Dress Code Policy

The dress code policy of Horace Mann Middle School is in alignment with the Wausau School District Dress and Grooming Policy (5511).  Responsibility for the personal appearance of students enrolled in the Wausau School District shall normally rest with the students themselves and their parents/guardians. Student dress or grooming shall not, however, affect the health or safety of students or disrupt the learning process within the classroom or school. Per Board Policy, administration has discretion to restrict student dress causing a health/safety hazard or disruption to the learning environment.  This discretion applies, but is not limited to, the following standards of dress for Wausau School District students:

  1. To maintain a focused learning environment and for safety, hoods, hats, caps, bandannas, and other head coverings are not permitted to be worn inside the school building during the school day. Exceptions will be made for head coverings worn as an observance of religious faith.
  2. Student clothing (top or bottom) cannot be solely undergarments (boxers, underwear, bras, bralettes).  Clothing must cover undergarments and should not create excessive exposure.  Student clothing choices need to express an appropriate level of school decorum.
  3. Costumes are prohibited outside of school-approved dress-up days. In this case, a costume may include: large headgear, character costume masks,  artificial anatomical features unrelated to a disability, or other components or accessories of a costume that pose a potential safety risk or disruption to the school environment. Make-up, hairstyles, and hair coloring are considered student expression and are allowed as long as the expression complies with other related school policies.
  4. Students will not be permitted to wear any clothing that contains references or content related to, pictures of and/or writing about alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, sexual acts, profanity, promotion of gambling, illegal drugs, disruptive symbols of hatred or intolerance (e.g., confederate flags, a swastika or other Nazi symbols, white supremacist symbols, etc.), and/or gangs. 
  5. Students are prohibited from wearing flags as capes or draping them over their shoulders in a cape-like manner. This includes flags of any nation, state, or political subdivision.
  6. To ensure a safe and organized learning environment, middle school students are permitted to bring backpacks to and from school. However, during the school day, backpacks (including drawstring bags, purses, belt bags, or any other carry-all bags) must be stored in student lockers and are not permitted in classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, or the gymnasium. Students are expected to utilize their assigned lockers for all personal belongings, carrying only necessary materials (e.g., binders, notebooks, writing instruments, or specific classroom supplies) between classes. Exceptions may be made for students participating in extracurricular activities requiring specific equipment, with prior approval from school administration.
  7. Medallions or other jewelry that identify gang members or gang affiliation or that represent a gang shall also not be worn or displayed in school or at school events. No gang insignia may be worn, possessed, used, distributed, displayed, carried, or sold by any student on school grounds or at school-related activities at any time.  The reference to “gang insignia” would also encompass items of clothing that signify gang activity by the manner in which they are worn. This code is not intended to limit the right of the building and/or District administration to establish rules or restrictions regarding other paraphernalia or dress that disrupts or threatens to disrupt the learning environment of any school.

Students found in violation of this policy are subject to administrative action, including but not limited to the following steps:

  1. Initial Concern & Resolution: When a dress code concern arises, staff will first address it directly with the student. An alternative clothing option will be offered to help the student come into compliance.
  2. Parent/Guardian Notification: If the issue isn't resolved or is a repeated violation, pupil services and/or admin will document it in Educlimber and contact the student's parents or guardians. The school will also offer alternative clothing if needed.
  3. Parent/Guardian Conference & Further Action: For persistent violations or more significant infractions, a conference will be scheduled with the student's parents or guardians to discuss the issue. This may lead to further disciplinary action. The conference and further action (if necessary) will be documented in Educlimber.
  4. Repeated Violations & Disciplinary Action: Consistent and repeated violations of the dress code policy will result in progressive disciplinary action. Action will be documented in Educlimber and coded as a Major violation. Potential administrative responses could include, but are not limited to, detentions, in-school suspension (ISS), and out-of-school suspension (OSS). 

If there is a disagreement between students and/or parents/guardians and staff regarding the appropriateness of clothing or other personal items, the principal will use their discretion to make the final decision.