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2013 -- H 5893 | |
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LC01673 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
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IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
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JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013 | |
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A N A C T | |
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RELATING TO EDUCATION - SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS - | |
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STUDENT DRESS CODE POLICY IN THE CITY OF CENTRAL FALLS | |
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Introduced By: Representatives Silva, and McLaughlin | |
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Date Introduced: March 19, 2013 | |
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Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare | |
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It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 16-2 of the General Laws entitled "School Committees and |
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Superintendents" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: |
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16-2-33.2. City of central falls - student dress code. – Findings of fact. The general |
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assembly finds and declares the following: |
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(1) The children of the city of Central Falls have the right to an effective public school |
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education. Both students and staff of the primary, elementary junior and senior high school |
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campuses have the constitutional right to be safe and secure in their persons at school. However, |
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children in many of our public schools are forced to focus on the threat of violence and the |
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messages of violence contained in many aspects of our society, particularly reflected in gang |
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regalia that disrupts the learning environment. |
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(2) The adoption of a school-wide dress code policy in Central Falls is a reasonable way |
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to provide some protection for students. A required dress code policy may protect students from |
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being associated with any particular gang. Moreover, by requiring a school-wide dress code |
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policy, teachers and administrators may not need to occupy as much of their time learning the |
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subtleties of gang regalia. |
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(3) To control the environment in public schools, to facilitate and maintain an effective |
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learning environment and to keep the focus of the classroom on learning and not personal safety, |
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schools need the authorization to implement dress code requirements for our public school |
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children. |
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(4) Many educators believe that school dress significantly influences pupil behavior. This |
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influence is evident on school dress up days and color days. Schools that have adopted a school |
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dress code experience a "coming together feeling," greater school pride, and better behavior in |
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and out of the classroom. |
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16-2-33.3. Mandatory Central Falls school-wide dress code policy. – (a) The |
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governing board of the Central Falls school district shall adopt a reasonable school-wide dress |
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code policy that requires pupils to wear a school-wide uniform and prohibits pupils from wearing |
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"gang-related apparel." Each plan shall be promulgated and approved by the governing school |
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board of the school district. Individual schools may include the reasonable school-wide dress |
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code policy as part of its school safety plans as required by this chapter. The Central Falls school |
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district may adopt different school-wide dress code policies for different schools and grade levels. |
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(b) In formulating a school-wide dress code policy, the district shall seek out and |
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consider recommendations and comments from the principal, staff, parents and guardians, and |
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members of the student body of the individual school. The school-wide dress code policy need |
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not be a specific form of dress or "uniform" per se, but shall take the form of a code which |
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provides students with several options or selections within different categories from which to |
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choose. |
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(c) A school-wide dress code policy shall not be implemented with less than six (6) |
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months notice to parents and the availability of resources to assist economically disadvantaged |
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pupils. |
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(d) The governing board of the city of Central Falls school district shall provide a method |
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whereby parents may choose not to have their children comply with an adopted school-wide dress |
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code. |
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(e) Every policy adopted pursuant to this section shall include a provision that no pupil |
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shall be penalized academically or otherwise discriminated against nor denied attendance to |
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school if the pupil's parents chose not to have the pupil comply with the school dress code policy. |
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The governing board of the city of Central Falls shall continue to have responsibility for the |
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appropriate education of those pupils. |
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(f) A policy adopted pursuant to this section shall not preclude pupils that participate in a |
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nationally recognized youth organization from wearing organization uniforms on days that the |
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organization has a scheduled meeting. |
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(g) The school-wide dress code policies required by this section shall be promulgated and |
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adopted on or before January 1, 2015. Provided, the implementation of the policy shall be delayed |
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up to six (6) months after January 1, 2015, in order to comply with the provisions of subsection |
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(c) herein. |
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC01673 | |
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EXPLANATION | |
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BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
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OF | |
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A N A C T | |
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RELATING TO EDUCATION - SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS - | |
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STUDENT DRESS CODE POLICY IN THE CITY OF CENTRAL FALLS | |
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This act would mandate a school-wide dress code policy in the city of Central Falls. |
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This act would take effect upon passage. |
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LC01673 | |
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