PARIS — A group of Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School students want to convince School Administrative District 17 directors that hats belong in the classroom.

Four OHCHS Student Council members, representing the entire student body,  presented their arguments for allowing students to wear hats in the classroom before the Policy Committee last week. The Policy Committee, in turn, agreed to go forward with the request, which will allow the students to present their request in front of the full board of directors at its Monday, Aug. 17, meeting.

The directors will have the final say as to whether the policy will change, but regardless of that vote, school administrators and directors say students are learning a good civics lesson.

“I think there’s much to be said on both sides,” said SAD 17 Director Judy Green, who chairs the Policy Committee. “We voted to bring it to the board without a recommendation. We wanted the board to hear the presentation.”

Green said she was pleased the students had the opportunity to speak up and realize “it’s not the teachers who made the decision” and learn how school policy is made.

High school Principal Ted Moccia said Tuesday his role is to give students the chance to make the argument for a change in policy.

“I’m going to give them the opportunity to have a voice,” he said. 

Moccia said he supports the students’ request to wear hats in the school.

“I don’t believe it is an issue of respect,” he said. “It’s more of a student’s individuality. It’s not a sign, to me, of disrespect.” 

Currently, the high school’s dress code forbids hats, hoods, bandanas and other types of head coverings in school during the day unless previously approved by the principal for religious reasons, special events or activities. Hats may be required in certain technical school programs — while working with or around machines — and in certain extracurricular activities or other activities where they are deemed necessary.

The policy says that students are encouraged to use sound judgment and reflect respect for themselves and others in dress and grooming. The restrictions on dress are enforced on school grounds when school is in session or at school functions.

“The students would like to express themselves,” Green said of their desire to wear hats.

Green told her fellow SAD 17 board members last week that the students would like to wear hats in class, but at the “teachers’ discretion.” She said the amount of time that teachers spend asking students to take off their hats “could be spent better in other areas.”

Superintendent Rick Colpitts said he is also pleased students are learning about school policy and how it can be influenced.

“From my perspective, the issue is less about hats and more about the OHCHS student government practicing public policy,” Colpitts said in an email. “I believe that it is refreshing to hear from students their concerns and issues and how they would propose to change district policy to address the concerns. The issue of wearing hats in school is one that is common in many schools in Maine. However, (how) the board chooses to address the concern is of less importance to me than seeing our students pursue a policy change and learning about the process while doing it.”

The issue of hats and other forms of controversial dress in public classrooms has been an ongoing debate nationwide for decades.

The first school dress code law was established in 1969 by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case, known as Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District, involved several high school students who wore black armbands to school in a planned protest against the Vietnam War. In that action, the court ruled that schools could limit student expression through a dress code, if administrators felt the “expression” could be disruptive to the learning environment or violate the rights of others.

Today, most states have laws that allow school boards to make dress code rules for students. The policies are generally written to promote a safe, disciplined school environment, prevent interference with schoolwork and discipline or to encourage uniformity of student dress.

The directors will have two readings of the proposed policy and vote whether to implement it following the second reading.

ldixon@sunmediagroup.com

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