High School Dress Code Policy

Leigh Bortins (founder of Classical Conversations) says, “There will always be a dress code in any situation; it will either be established by the children and the culture or by mature adults, but it will be there. Let us set one in a way that honors our Father in heaven. That means dressing to please Him and to make others comfortable around us. We are to honor the body of Christ and not our personal desires. A good way to be sure we do this is for daughters to ask their earthly father if they are dressed modestly and not provocatively and for sons to ask their mothers if they are dressed neatly and honorably.”

Good advice. Of course, we recognize that many, perhaps all, of our young men and women will already have reached a level of maturity that makes this reminder unnecessary.

As a Christian Cooperative, it is imperative that we both carry and present ourselves in a way that honors the Lord. As such, our dress code policy is strictly enforced. We are so thankful for our Pathway family's cooperation:

Clothing should be age-appropriate, properly fitted, and suitable for the learning environment.
All students are required to wear appropriate footwear for school. No slippers(except for pajama day), stiletto high heels, or platform high-heeled shoes.
All shirts and tops must cover the midriff at all times. Crop tops are not allowed. No bellies can be shown when bending, stretching, or reaching arms above the head.
The following are examples of clothing that are unacceptable and not allowed: tank tops w/ straps thinner than 2 inches, strapless tops, spaghetti straps, off-the-shoulder shirts, plunging necklines, cut-out designs that reveal bras or bare areas of skin, low-cut shirts that display cleavage, bare-back shirts, sheer, mesh, or skin-tight clothing that does not have an appropriate blouse or shirt underneath or over, etc. Boys must wear shirts with short or long sleeves.
All pants and shorts must fit at the waist. No sagging or low riding will be permitted. Clothing must cover undergarments when sitting, standing, or bending for both girls and boys.
Hemlines and slits on dresses, skirts, and shorts above mid-thigh are not acceptable. Length must have a minimum of a 3 inch in-seam. If the shorts have cut outs or slits that are shorter than 3 inches, they are not allowed.
Athletic shorts are allowed ONLY if they are 3 inches in inseam length or longer. Volleyball shorts or Nike Pro type running shorts, lifting shorts, or spandex booty shorts are NOT ALLOWED.
Leggings are allowed ONLY if a shirt is worn that COMPLETELY covers your bottom.
Fish-net stockings and thigh-high stockings are not allowed.
Girls must wear a bra at all times.
Ripped denim shorts/skirts/jeans with any tears that reveal exposed skin higher than mid-thigh, crotch, or buttocks ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If there is fabric under the rip, that is acceptable. Tights worn under ripped jeans is fine.
Clothing, jewelry, and hair accessories that are unsafe and/or dangerous are not permitted.
Bike shorts will be allowed providing the length is mid-thigh with an appropriate shirt covering them. However, shorts must be visible, so that it does not appear that the student is only wearing a t-shirt.
Clothing or jewelry that depicts any gang style, anti-semitic, or satanic writing; illegal activity; sexually related, pornography, or obscene gestures and material; tobacco; drugs; alcohol; or words, pictures, or phrases that depict substance abuse, suicide, violence, racism, sexism, political extremism or religious extremism or intimidation is strictly prohibited.
Political party/candidate graphics are acceptable, providing they are not offensive with any innuendo, etc. “Let’s go Brandon” would be prohibited because of the context and underlying meaning. “Let’s make America great again” is fine as it is also a general statement.
Any body piercing that presents a safety issue or significant distraction will not be allowed.
Any clothing or styles of dress that may be construed to provoke fear, violence, or intimidation is unacceptable.
Pocket knives, firearms, or anything that is considered or could be considered a weapon are all prohibited on campus.
There is to be no alcohol/drinking, smoking, vaping, drugs of any kind or the sale of anything on Pathway/the church's campus

It is our goal at Pathway Christian Co-op to provide an environment where students can still express their own personal style whilst complying with our dress code policy.

It is crucial for every student to feel comfortable in our learning environment without having any additional distractions or insecurities, as we understand that adolescence is a challenging time for all children.

In order for us to maintain compliance with our dress code policy, every student and parent/guardian will be required to sign our dress code policy form below. If a student is in violation of the dress code they will be presented with 2 options: 1. They may go home and change, however, Pathway leaders and teachers will not be held liable for any class missed while they are away. OR 2. Pathway leadership will have clean L/XL/XXL t-shirts/sweatpants available for any student that comes to Pathway wearing something that is deemed inappropriate according to the guidelines listed above.

If you or your student are unsure if something will be considered a violation of our guidelines above, please reach out to us, consider a change of clothing prior to arriving at Pathway, or even have an additional layer available with them in the event that they are unsure.

Please know that we understand that it is difficult to navigate the enforcement of a dress code violation and it is not our intention for anyone to feel uncomfortable whether it is a student being required to wear one of our t-shirts/hoodies/sweatpants that will be provided in the event of a dress code violation, but ALSO for any student/teacher/leadership member who is made to feel uncomfortable for said violation.

Pathway leadership is comprised of volunteer, homeschool moms like yourselves, and none of us want to have to address this or confront a student (discreetly) regarding our dress code policy. We feel that it is important and necessary to dress in a way that honors the Lord, the church that allows us to meet on their campus, and also, of course, themselves and their families.

Every parent and student will be required to sign an acknowledgement/agreement of our dress code upon registration.