Parents rip Greene dress code

SNOW HILL - Several parents of Greene County Schools students this week spoke out against a dress code that takes effect in August.

The school board adopted the policy April 28.

Darlene Sheppard, Marquerite Everett, Sharon Harrison and Wendy Dillane each have children who attend Greene County Schools. They said the new dress code policy goes too far and could hurt students' school spirit.

Several of the parents read letters which addressed the community's concerns. Everett said several Greene Central High School parents are opposed to the new uniform policy and that the district should have better enforced its modified dress code policy at the start of 2007-2008.

"You should consider some modifications to the new dress code," Everett said. "Some parents are not supporting Greene Central High at this time."

Everett has two children, Justin and Amanda, who attend Greene Central. Sheppards' son, Desmond, also attends the school.

"My son doesn't want to wear a uniform to school," Sheppard said. She questioned the school's no logo policy as well.

Harrison said her son abided by the district's modified dress code policy this year but doesn't support the new policy adopted in April. "I hate we have come to this point," she said. "Everything is so strict."

In a letter written by Dillane, the new dress code's economic impact on families was questioned. "Please reconsider the dress code," she writes. "Realize the economic situation."

Dillane said her five daughters will attend Greene County Schools next year. It will cost her about $1,120 to send them to school. The district has a large percentage of low wealth families who can't afford to buy new uniforms, she writes.

Several parents also questioned the school boards' decision making abilities in regards to the new policy. On April 25, 2007, surveys were sent to Greene County School parents asking them if they would support a new student uniform dress policy.

Superintendent Steve Mazingo said the district received 1,000 parent responses of which 65 percent said they supported a new uniform policy. By July 2007, the board had discussed three different dress code policies and adopted a policy that fell short of requiring students to wear uniforms.

Mazingo and the Greene County Board of Education responded to the parents' additional concerns.

"There is some misinformation out there," Mazingo said. Mazingo said the district plans to mail question and answer pamphlets to students' homes to help educate more people about the new dress policy.

Both he and the board thanked the concerned parents for sharing their issues. "A lot of deliberation was taken by this board," Greene County School Board Chairwoman Pat Adams said. "We didn't want to punish the children."

Adams hinted the school board may further discuss the new dress policy during its next school board meeting.

School board members Jasper Barfield and Jerry Carraway also shared their thoughts with the parents.

"Parents need to be more aware of what their children look like when they leave home," Barfield said. "Students have a way to evade what needs to be done. They need to go to school dressed appropriately."

Carraway said the school board worked together to do "what is right" for the district's students. He said the new dress code policy was developed on "common ground" and realized change would be difficult.

While no board members said changes in the new policy were immediately planned, Adams did say the policy could be revisited if the board decides to address additional concerns raised at the meeting.

Chris Lavender can be reached at (252) 559-1078 or clavender@freedomenc.com.