Why do we have a dress code? Some students complain about wearing school uniforms and focus on the bad rather than the good. While they’re focusing on why they can’t wear hoodies or that it’s not super comfortable, they don’t try to understand why it’s in place. Over a decade later, it’s time to remind students why we have it and to take some pride in their school.

Understanding Dress Code Expectations: The Basics 

The dress code requires students to wear a maroon, white, grey, or black polo shirts; black, tan, stone, or navy color docker style pants, shorts, corduroy pants, capri style, or a casual skirt or skort.

The dress code states that you can’t wear extra wide, extra full, extra long, baggy, or sagging pants or shorts, but it also states that tight, form-fitting pants are not allowed either (mainly leggings). 

For tops, no long or baggy shirts, no logo prints, stripes, patterns, etc. aren’t allowed and the shirt must be buttoned to the base of the neck.

Administration, staff, and faculty have their own business casual dress code to follow. 

The Development of the Dress Code: The Reasoning

SASD dress code was developed approximately 15 years ago.  A committee of students, parents, community members, business owners, and teachers, administrators, and school board members made up the committee and decided on the dress code. 

Staff and administration believed that student attire was interfering with daily operations of the building; students felt inferior, attire being inappropriate and excessively revealing. Some of the clothes created tripping hazards, students had drug or alcohol references, and some clothes worn by certain individuals known to be physically intimidating, and construed to be a safety issue. 

A lot of time and effort was put into creating the dress policy that the committee felt was fair to the students. They wanted to achieve a respectful, appropriate, and professional look which translates into students being mentally and physically prepared to attack their education. 

 The dress code allows students to not worry about what they are going to wear the next day. It also allows students who may not have a variety of clothing at home to focus in on a few outfits and not be embarrassed. 

The dress code is designed so students aren’t singled out.

A newsletter called Gitnux studied and found that “90 percent of uniformed students saw no impact on academic performance. Since 2011, over 100 California schools have implemented dress codes for safety. Dress code makes the students focus more on their lessons rather than their outfits.¨

Principal Jeff Sodl explained, “There is no question that the way you dress affects not only your perception of yourself and others but also has statistically shown an increase in academic achievement and a decline in disciplinary infractions.  In the first year implemented, the dress policy saw a decrease of nearly 40 percent in discipline referrals.  For many years we also have been the highest-performing school district in the area academically.”

Along with the positive effects the dress code has on discipline, Sodl explained how this prepares students for the real world.

“For any job, there is a dress code.  A Stroudsburg High School student’s job is to come to school dressed for success.  We are preparing our students for the real world in many facets, and proper attire for the job at hand is one of them,” Sodl mentioned. “Additionally, for years, business owners downtown and in the area know who Stroudsburg High School students are because they act differently (positively) and know how to dress for a job opportunity. 

Dress-down days: The Incentive

Stroudsburg is different from other schools by allowing students to have dress-down days. 

There are strict rules that come with dress-down days to keep students behaving as they would any other day, but Sodl explained how even with these rules there is an uptake in bad behavior on these days. 

“The level of impropriety that used to exist was embarrassing and definitely not conducive to learning,” stated Sodl, “The restrictions placed on a few items are in place because the extent to which some students take them is completely unacceptable and inappropriate.”

Each item restricted causes a distraction, is inappropriate, or is a safety issue.

Dressing Smartly for Success: The Reality

This dress code has been in place for 16 years and current SHS students have always had a dress code.

Over the years, small changes were implemented like not limiting shoe colors. It’s become easier and cheaper for parents because more schools have adopted a dress code and stores like Old Navy and Walmart have accommodated this need over the years.

“I am in favor of there being a dress code at the high school because it provides less distraction so kids can focus more on learning when everyone follows the same standard. It also reduces stress and peer pressure since it can be stressful keeping up with expensive or trendy clothes. Especially when not everybody’s family can afford to buy them new clothes every year,” said SHS parent Paul Maccarone. “Students can feel more comfortable and confident being themselves having a uniform” 

It’s now much easier for students to get uniform shirts and pants with the SHS on-site thrift store, Common Threads, located in the basement of the high school, students have access to a variety of items, and everything is $1–yes, one dollar! 

“Dress code makes it so that I can wake up and easily decide what I want to wear. Keeps everyone looking more presentable,” said Ben Pilcher, ’25.

There is no indication of the dress code being removed from the Stroudsburg District, so it’s best to focus on the positives of the dress code rather than the negatives.