Corning | Hunan Dresss Inc.

by: Carl Aldinger

Posted: Jun 2, 2023 / 03:35 PM EDT

Updated: Jun 2, 2023 / 05:22 PM EDT

CORNING, N.Y. (WETM) – Students in the Corning-Painted Post Area School District may see a more relaxed dress code soon, and the district is inviting the public to weigh in on proposed changes to its code of conduct.

Overall, the changes seem to aim for more inclusive policies at the school. The biggest change is a near-complete rewrite of the school dress code.

The proposed changes appear to be more relaxed, broad, and inclusive than the current dress code. For example, in the current dress code, the district prohibits spaghetti strap tank tops and crop-top shirts that showed midriff skin; however, the changes would allow students to wear such shirts, as well as "off-the-shoulder tops", showing bra straps, waistbands, and midriffs.

Also under the new code, students would be allowed to wear hats and other head coverings, including religious head coverings, durags, and headbands. The current code prohibits any head coverings except for medical or religious purposes.

See all the proposed changes here.

The changes also include several wording switches. These include changing the word "parent" to "family/caregiver", switching "vape pens" to "vapes", and referring to students as "their" instead of just "his/her". The changes also remove the COVID-19 district operations section.

The proposed changes would also allow students to wear backpacks and purses throughout the school.

However, it still restricts clothes promoting illegal activities, clothes with prejudiced images or words, anything that could be considered a weapon, ski masks, sunglasses, or blankets of flags being worn over clothes.

"School should be an environment where all students are treated equitably regardless of race, religion, disability, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, cultural observance, political affiliation, household income, or body type/size," the proposed dress code reads. "Students should be able to dress comfortably and engage in a safe learning environment."

CPP announced that there will be a public comment period at the Board of Education meeting at 6:30 p.m. on June 21, 2023 regarding the changes. Copies of the Code of Conduct are available from the school district clerk or at this link.