HB 4067 Text

H. B. 4067

(By Delegates Mezzatesta and Williams)

[Introduced January 17, 2002 ; referred to the

Committee on Education.]

A BILL to amend article two, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section thirty-five, relating to providing a procedure for implementing a school dress code requiring student uniforms in public schools.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That article two, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section thirty-five, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

§18-2-35. Dress codes requiring school uniforms for students.
(a) The Legislature hereby finds that the clothing and footwear worn by students in public schools often preoccupy and distract students from their major purpose for being in school, which is obtaining an education. The Legislature finds that in schools that have adopted a dress code requiring students to wear school uniforms, disparities in student socioeconomic levels are less obvious, and disruptive incidents are less likely to occur.

(b) The state board shall promulgate rules in accordance with article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, that allows a county board to implement a dress code requiring students to wear a school uniform. The uniforms may be required by the county board for either a school district, or for any certain school within the district. The rules shall provide at least the following:

(1) The county board may create an advisory committee comprised of parents, school employees and students for the purpose of considering whether the board should adopt a dress code requiring school uniforms for students in the district;

(2) The county board may create an advisory committee comprised of parents, school employees and students for the purpose of considering whether the board should adopt a dress code requiring school uniforms for students in any certain school within the district;

(3) If the advisory committee recommends to the board that a dress code requiring school uniforms for students be adopted either for the district or for any certain school within the district, the advisory committee also shall make recommendations on alternative methods of paying for the school uniforms; and

(4) If the advisory committee recommends to the board that a dress code requiring school uniforms for students be adopted either for the district or for any certain school within the district, and if the advisory committee reports its recommendations on alternative methods of paying for the school uniforms to the board, the board may adopt a dress code requiring school uniforms for students.

(d) Nothing in this section requires any level of funding by the Legislature, boards of education or any other agency of government.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.

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