Skip To Main Content

Dress Code

Dress Code Philosophy

Pleasanton Unified School District’s student dress code supports equitable educational access and is written in a manner that does not reinforce stereotypes. To ensure effective and equitable enforcement of this dress code, school staff shall enforce the dress code consistently and in a manner that does not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income or body type/size.

Our values:

  • All students should be able to dress comfortably for school and engage in the educational environment without fear of or actual unnecessary discipline or body shaming.
  • All students and staff should understand that they are responsible for managing their own personal "distractions" without regulating individual students' clothing/self-expression.
  • Student dress code enforcement should not result in unnecessary barriers to school attendance.

Our student dress code is designed to accomplish several goals: 

  • Maintain a safe learning environment.
  • Allow students to wear clothing of their choice that is comfortable.
  • Allow students to wear clothing that expresses their self-identified gender.
  • Allow students to wear religious attire without fear of discipline or discrimination.
  • Prevent students from wearing clothing or accessories with offensive images or language, including profanity, hate speech, and pornography.
  • Prevent students from wearing clothing or accessories that denote, suggest, display or reference alcohol, drugs or related paraphernalia or other illegal conduct or activities.
  • Prevent students from wearing clothing or accessories that will interfere with the operation of the school, disrupt the educational process, invade the rights of others, or create a reasonably foreseeable risk of such interference or invasion of rights.
  • Prevent students from wearing clothing or accessories that reasonably can be construed as being or including content that is racist, lewd, vulgar or obscene, or that reasonably can be construed as containing fighting words, speech that incites others to imminent lawless action, defamatory speech, or threats to others.
  • Students in Pleasanton Unified School District are “showing up for work”; therefore, they should make every attempt to be in “professional student” clothing for their work day. The dress code is meant to inspire pride and confidence for success as students grow toward entry into the 21st-century professional work environment.

Dress Code 

Pleasanton Unified School District expects that all students will dress in a way that is appropriate for the school day or for any school-sponsored event. Student dress choices should respect the district’s intent to sustain a community that is inclusive of a diverse range of identities. The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and their parent(s) or guardian(s). The school district is responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student, that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student, and that dress code enforcement does not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income, or body type/size. Any restrictions to the way a student dresses must be necessary to support the overall educational goals of the school and should be explained within this dress code.

(cf. 0420 - School Plans/Site Councils).

  1. Basic Principle: Certain body parts must be covered for all students at all times.

Clothes must be worn in a way such that genitals, buttocks, breasts, navels and nipples are fully covered with non see-through fabric.

All items listed in the “must wear” and “may wear” categories below must meet this basic principle.

  1. Students Must Wear, while following the basic principle of Section 1 above:

  • A shirt with fabric that covers the torso/midriff in the front, back, on the sides, and under the arms, AND
  • Pants/jeans or the equivalent (a skirt, sweatpants, leggings, dress, or shorts), AND
  • Shoes. Specific shoes may be required for certain classes for health and safety purposes (PE, science labs, etc.)

  1. Students May Wear:

  • Hats and hoods. Hats and hoods must allow the face to be visible to staff so it does not obscure the face and ears (except as a religious observance), and not interfere with the line of sight of any student or staff. Students must remove their hats or hoods at the request of any staff member.
  • Religious headwear.
  • Fitted pants, including non see-through fabric leggings, or leggings with see-through panels, yoga pants and “skinny jeans” as long as underwear and buttocks are not exposed.
  • Ripped jeans, as long as underwear and buttocks are not exposed.
  • Pajama Pants
  • Tank tops, including spaghetti straps; halter tops.
  • Athletic attire.
  • Visible waistbands on undergarments or visible straps on undergarments worn under other clothing.
  • Sunglasses outdoors (unless there is an authorized medical reason to wear indoors).
  • Sun-protective clothing, including but not limited to hats, for outdoor use during the school day. (Education Code 35183.5)

Coaches and teachers may impose more stringent dress requirements to accommodate the special needs of certain sports and/or classes to provide adequate safety measures (i.e.: safety glasses in Science). Guidelines may also be adjusted to meet student health needs, to accommodate for religious obligations (observances) as well as other special circumstances as authorized by site administration.

(cf. 3260 - Fees and Charges)

Students participating in a physical education class shall not have their grade adversely affected if the students do not wear standardized physical education apparel, because of circumstances beyond the student's control. (Education Code 49066)

(cf. 5121 - Grades/Evaluation of Student Achievement)

  1. Students Cannot Wear*:

  • Violent language or images, including gang-related attire at individual schools. (Education Code 32282)
  • Images or language depicting drugs or alcohol (or any illegal item or activity).
  • Hate speech, profanity, pornography.
  • Language or images that create a hostile or intimidating environment or have been used historically to oppress any protected class or consistently marginalized group.
  • Any clothing that reveals visible undergarments (Sheer tops or bottoms).
  • Strapless tops, strapless dresses or tube tops. *These items may be worn over a top with straps.
  • Swimsuits (except as required in class or athletic practice).
  • Accessories that could be considered dangerous or could be used as a weapon.
  • Any item that obscures the face and ears (except as a religious observance).

*There may be different expectations for certain special school-sponsored events, such as dances or promotions where strapless dresses may be allowed. The details of the dress code for special events will be communicated by each school site.

  1. Dress Code Enforcement

To ensure effective and equitable enforcement of this dress code, school staff shall enforce the dress code consistently.

  • Students will be asked to put on their own alternative clothing, if already available at school, to be dressed more to code for the remainder of the day.
  • If necessary, students’ parents/guardians may be called during the school day to bring alternative clothing for the student to wear for the remainder of the day.
  • If the student or parent/guardian cannot provide alternative clothing, the school will provide clean clothing items to the student to wear for the remainder of the day.

Updated: June 20, 2020 - AR 5132