HB 0679

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to Orange County; providing legislative
3findings; requiring the Orange County School Board to
4adopt a dress code policy that requires students to wear a
5schoolwide uniform; providing for implementation;
6providing an effective date.
7
8Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10     Section 1.  (1)  The Legislature finds and declares the
11following:
12     (a)  This act shall apply only to Orange County.
13     (b)  The children of Orange County have the right to an
14effective public school education. Both students and staff of
15public elementary, middle, and high school campuses have the
16constitutional right to be safe and secure in their persons at
17school. However, children in many of our public schools are
18forced to focus on the threat of violence and the messages of
19violence contained in many aspects of our society, particularly
20reflected in gang regalia that disrupts the learning
21environment.
22     (c)  Gang-related apparel is hazardous to the health and
23safety of the school environment.
24     (d)  Instructing teachers and administrators on the
25subtleties of identifying constantly changing gang regalia and
26gang affiliation takes an increasing amount of time away from
27educating our children.
28     (e)  Weapons, including firearms and knives, have become
29commonplace upon even our elementary school campuses. Students
30often conceal weapons by wearing clothing, such as jumpsuits and
31overcoats, and by carrying large bags.
32     (f)  The adoption of a schoolwide uniform policy is a
33reasonable way to provide some protection for students. A
34required uniform may protect students from being associated with
35any particular gang. Moreover, by requiring schoolwide uniforms,
36teachers and administrators may not need to occupy as much of
37their time learning the subtleties of gang regalia.
38     (g)  To control the environment in public schools, to
39facilitate and maintain an effective learning environment, and
40to keep the focus of the classroom on learning and not personal
41safety, schools need the authorization to implement uniform
42clothing requirements for our public school children.
43     (h)  Many educators believe that school dress significantly
44influences student behavior. This influence is evident on school
45dress-up days and color days. Schools that have adopted school
46uniforms experience a feeling of coming together, greater school
47pride, and improved student behavior in and out of the
48classroom.
49     (2)(a)  The Orange County School Board shall adopt a
50reasonable dress code policy that requires students in the
51public elementary, middle, and high schools in the school
52district to wear a schoolwide uniform. The dress code policy
53shall be implemented no later than August 1, 2006.
54     (b)  The dress code policy shall not preclude students that
55participate in a nationally recognized youth organization from
56wearing organization uniforms on days that the organization has
57a scheduled meeting.
58     (c)  The dress code policy shall provide for a dress-down
59day each school year according to policy guidelines.
60     (3)  The Orange County School Board shall not be
61responsible for the purchase of school uniforms for indigent
62students. However, the school board may authorize programs to
63promote donations of funds and/or uniforms to assist indigent
64student.
65     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.