Modesty still a must in proposed revisions to Atlanta student dress code

The Atlanta Board of Education will consider revisions to its dress code policy at a Monday meeting. The current policy, last revised in 2007, specifies that clothing must be modest, of appropriate length  and “must not be distracting.”

The Atlanta Board of Education will consider revisions to its dress code policy at a Monday meeting. The current policy, last revised in 2007, specifies that clothing must be modest, of appropriate length  and “must not be distracting.”

Proposed changes to the Atlanta Public Schools’ student dress code still require modesty and ban “extremely tight clothing,” but the updated rules would make it clear that dress-code enforcement should be “consistent and equitable.”

In the last few months, a couple thousand people signed online petitions seeking to overhaul the rules that spell out what students can wear to school -- in part because critics say girls are unfairly targeted and enforcement has caused some students to miss class.

The suggested rules posted publicly on Friday still require clothing to be "modest and of appropriate length." But, the proposed changes also state that students "should be able to choose their attire for school and participate in the educational environment without fear of unnecessary discipline."

The Atlanta Board of Education is scheduled to review the revisions Monday, in anticipation of a final vote at a later meeting. How each school interprets the policy would still be up to each principal.