Painesville City Local Schools

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School Uniform & Dress Code

Painesville City Local Schools believe that student dress is a component which contributes to school climate and safety. Consistent with Board Policy 5111, the district instituted a dress code policy 2007 in an effort to:
 
  • Promote a sense of equality- A goal of uniformity of dress is to build unity, cohesion, and a sense of belonging by removing hierarchies among students based upon what clothing they may be able to afford or what trends they may be able to keep up with. Competition and judgements based on clothing are a common source of bullying, peer pressure, and social exclusion.
 
  • Enhance safety- Uniform/dress code places restrictions on clothing items which could be restrictive to movement and accessories which are otherwise potentially harmful. Uniformity of dress helps staff to easily identify students versus individuals who may not belong in the building. Further, the uniform/dress code hinders one's ability to conceal anything which may pose a safety risk.
 
  • Be sensitive to the costs of outfitting a child for school- Setting a standard of affordable clothing can make outfitting children more financially feasible for families.
 
  • Provide assistance to families- Where clothing items are standardized, the school/district is able to provide clothing to students/families in need that students will actually wear.
 
  • Promotion of professionalism- Appropriate dress is a critical "soft skill" which students will need for future success. The uniform/dress code reinforces this on a daily basis and facilitates the development of a student's self-image as an academic and a professional. Dress at school should be similar to what is acceptable in a professional setting. 
 
The documents linked above contain details about what dress is permitted and prohibited. Note that the school uniform guidelines for grades K-8 differ from the dress code guidelines for grades 9-12.
 
While the district does not endorse any particular vendor, the following sources provide school uniform clothing:
 
Kohl’s www.kohls.com
Target www.target.com
Penney’s www.jcp.com
Costco www.costco.com
Sam’s Club www.samsclub.com
Schoolbelles www.schoolbelles.com/myschool/M37/s9112 district code: s9112
Children’s Palace www.childrenspalace.com
Amazon www.amazon.com
Old Navy www.oldnavy.com
Walmart www.walmart.com
Sears www.sears.com
Shirt Max www.shirtmax.com
 
 
 
The Raider Rack - Clothing Assistance Program
In 2007, “The Raider Rack”, was created to allow our PCLS families to recycle gently used and new clothing to help district families with limited resources obtain clothes that comply with the school’s Academic Dress Guidelines. The Raider Rack continues to be a welcome resource for our families and provides hundreds of dress code approved pants and shirts to students in our schools.

This program is now located in the Family Resource Center at Maple Elementary School. Families in need of uniform clothing need to call Center Coordinator, Maribel Young at 440-392-5457 to make an appointment for the children to come and try on the available clothes. Students are required to be present for sizing.

Donations Accepted
Each year, we ask that families send in gently used clothing that children have outgrown. Families can bring the clothing to the Family Resource Center at Maple Elementary School. The clothing is collected and professionally cleaned with donated services from Richmond Street's "The Laundromat". In addition, we ask our community for donations to help stock “The Raider Rack” with new or used dress code-specific items.