Parents voice objection to tuck-in rule

Bedford County Board of Education heard Thursday night from parents upset about the rule requiring shirts to be tucked in, and school board chairman Barry Cooper said the comments would be taken under advisement; the school board didn't act on or discuss the issue on Thursday.

Early in the meeting, Supervisor of Student Services Terry Looper reported that the dress code in general was working well and has taken the guesswork out of enforcement for administrators. He said the neat appearance it requires has been beneficial.

"It really does add to the atmosphere of the school," said Looper.

Then, parent Kim Taylor addressed the board, and board members were given letters from several other parents objecting to the rule.

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Taylor said that last year's rule, requiring only that the layer of clothing closest to the skin be tucked in, worked out well for everyone. She said the new rule, requiring all shirts to be tucked in, has been traumatic for teenagers with body image issues. Tara Atnip, in a letter to the board, said that as she was writing, her daughter was "sobbing uncontrollably because of the way she believes she looks with her shirt tucked in."

Taylor said that principals say they are only enforcing the rule as enacted by the board, while board members say the rule was created in response to input from the principals. Last month, School Superintendent Ed Gray told the Times-Gazette that the rule came about because principals said untucked shirts make it harder to enforce the rules against saggy, low-riding pants.

Taylor said that the high school years are already a stressful time for teenagers.

"Are you willing to have it on your conscience when a student intends to harm themself?" she asked.

She also said that dress code enforcement was not consistent, quoting another parent as saying she saw 15 students at one school in violation but only one who was stopped by an administrator.

Taylor praised school board member Diane Neeley for acknowledging the concerns passed along to her. Cooper thanked Taylor for presenting her concerns in a professional manner and said the school board would take the matter under advisement.

The board met at the new Community High School and will meet next month at the new Learning Way Elementary.