TITLE: Fire and Emergency Preparedness Drills CODE: E17-Rev
Required
Statement of Policy
It is the policy of the Windham Southeast School District (District) to require each school site to
conduct options-based response drills in the fall and spring of each academic year, and to adopt
and maintain an all-hazards emergency operations plan, as part of the District’s overall school
safety plan.
Definitions
1. Options-based Response Drill: For the purpose of this policy, options-based response
drill means that there are different actions educators and students can take if confronted
by an active shooter/intruder.
2. School site: school building(s) operated by the school district.
Administrative Responsibilities
The superintendent or designee will ensure that:
1. Each school site in the district conducts age-appropriate, options-based response drills,
including fire drills, in the fall and spring of each academic year. The district must
evaluate which approach is best and adapt that approach to the developmental level of
their students, including for students with disabilities, language barriers, and mobility
needs.
2. The options-based response drills follow the guidance issued by the Vermont School
Safety Center and the Vermont School Crisis Planning Team, which includes trauma-
informed best practices for implementing options-based response drills.
3. Parents, guardians and caregivers are notified not later than one school day before an
options-based response drill is conducted.
4. Completion of the biannual drills is reported to the Agency of Education in a format
approved by the Secretary.
5. On or by July 1, 2024, an all-hazards emergency operations plan is adopted and
maintained for each school site. This plan must be reviewed and updated annually and in
collaboration with local emergency first responders and local emergency management
officials.
Date Warned: July 5, 2023
Date Adopted:
Legal References: 16 VSA §§ 1480, 1481
Cross References: H8 Access Control and Visitor Management
E15 Security Cameras
WINDHAM SOUTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT
Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, and Putney
Vermont
TITLE: Student Dress Code CODE: F42
DRESS CODE PHILOSOPHY
Windham Southeast 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
implementation of this dress code, school staff shall implement 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. We want to encourage and support our children
to be well-rounded, not defined by their bodies and their clothes. Our goal is to create a learning
environment that gives us space for self-expression, grounding us in our equality and worth. We
recognize that we are constantly inundated with messages from others and from the media that
work to convince us to participate in our own oppression or the oppression of others. We will
work as a community to create space for expression, one that challenges us to deepen our sense
of self-worth and care of each other. The Student Dress Code policy will be reviewed annually
at the end of each school year.
Our values are:
• 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 reactions without regulating individual students’ clothing/self-expression.
• Student dress code implementation should not result in unnecessary barriers to school
attendance.
• School staff should be trained and able to use student/body-positive language to explain the
code and to address code violations.
• Teachers should focus on teaching without the additional and often uncomfortable burden of
dress code implementation.
• Reasons for conflict and inconsistent and/or inequitable discipline should be minimized
whenever possible.
Our student dress code is designed to accomplish several goals:
• Maintain a safe learning environment in classes where protective or supportive clothing is
needed, such as chemistry/biology (eye or body protection), dance (bare feet, tights/leotards),
or PE (athletic attire/shoes).
• 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
defamatory speech, or threats to others.
• Ensure that all students are treated equitably regardless of race, sex, gender identity, gender
expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income or
body type/size.
DRESS CODE
Windham Southeast 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), guardian(s), or caregiver(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
implementation 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 must be explained
within this dress code.
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, and nipples are fully covered with opaque fabric.
However, cleavage should not have coverage requirements. All items listed in the “must wear”
and “may wear” categories below must meet this basic principle.
2. Students Must Wear*, while following the basic principle of Section 1 above:
• A Shirt (with fabric in the front, back, and on the sides under the arms),
AND
• Pants/jeans or the equivalent (for example, a skirt, sweatpants, leggings, a dress or
shorts),
AND
• Footwear.
*Courses that include attire as part of the curriculum (for example, professionalism, public
speaking, and job readiness) may include assignment-specific dress, but should not focus on
covering bodies in a particular way or promoting culturally-specific attire. Activity-specific
shoes requirements are permitted (for example, athletic shoes for PE).
3. Students May Wear, as long as these items do not violate Section 1 above:
• Hats and hoodies must allow the face to be visible to staff, and not interfere with the line
of sight of any student or staff.
• Religious headwear
• Fitted pants, including opaque leggings, yoga pants and “skinny jeans”
• Pajamas
• Ripped jeans, as long as underwear and buttocks are not exposed
• Tank tops, including spaghetti straps; halter tops
• Athletic attire
• Visible waistbands on undergarments or visible straps on undergarments worn under
other clothing (as long as this is done in a way that does not violate Section 1 above).
4. Students Cannot Wear:
• Violent language or images.
• Images or language depicting/suggesting drugs, alcohol, vaping or paraphernalia (or any
illegal item or activity).
• Bullet proof vest, body armor, tactical gear, or facsimile.
• Hate speech, profanity, pornography.
• Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any
protected class or consistently marginalized groups.
• Any clothing that reveals visible undergarments (visible waistbands and visible straps are
allowed)
• 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 or ears (except as a religious observance or as personal
protective equipment (PPE).
5. Dress Code Implementation: To ensure effective and equitable implementation of this dress
code, school staff shall implement the dress code consistently using the requirements below.
School administration and staff shall not have discretion to vary the requirements in ways that
lead to discriminatory implementation.
• Students will only be removed from spaces, hallways, or classrooms as a result of a dress
code violation as outlined in Sections 1 and 4 above. Students in violation of Section 1
and/or 4 will be provided three (3) options to be dressed more to code during the school
day:
o 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.
o If necessary, students’ parents/guardians/caregivers may be called during the school
day to bring alternative clothing for the student to wear for the remainder of the day.
• No student should be affected by dress code implementation because of racial identity,
sex assigned at birth, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, cultural
or religious identity, household income, body size/type, or body maturity.
• School staff shall be trained and able to use student/body positive language to explain the
code and to address code violations.
• School staff shall not implement the school’s dress code more strictly against transgender
and gender nonconforming students than other students.
• Students should not be shamed or required to display their body in front of others
(students, parents, or staff) in school. “Shaming” includes, but is not limited to:
o kneeling or bending over to check attire fit;
o measuring straps or skirt length;
o asking students to account for their attire in the classroom or in hallways in front of
others;
o calling out students in spaces, in hallways, or in classrooms about perceived dress
code violations in front of others; in particular, directing students to correct sagged
pants that do not expose the entire undergarment, or confronting students about
visible bra straps, since visible waistbands and straps on undergarments are permitted;
and,
o accusing students of “distracting” others with their clothing.
These dress code guidelines shall apply to regular school days and summer school days, as well
as any school-related events and activities, such as graduation ceremonies, dances and prom.
Student athletic apparel will be defined by safety and competitive performance standards.
Students who feel they have been subject to discriminatory implementation of the dress code
should contact School Personnel.
Date Warned: July 5, 2023
Date Adopted:
Legal Reference:
WINDHAM SOUTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT
Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Putney
Vermont
TITLE: Access Control and Visitor Management CODE: H-8 Rev.
REQUIRED
Statement of Policy
It is the policy of the Windham Southeast School District (District) to provide a safe
environment for students and employees while facilitating access to school buildings, premises
and equipment by authorized users. The safety and security of the district’s physical space and
assets is a shared responsibility of all members of the District.
Definitions
1. School site: school building(s) operated by the school district.
Administrative Responsibilities
The Superintendent, or designee, will develop procedures to ensure:
1. Access control procedures are established to address the design, administration and
management of access control systems and measures. The superintendent, or designee,
must determine and assign access-control privileges based on the specific needs and
requirements of the district and the electronic identification/access badge.
2. All school site and district office exterior doors are locked during the school day.
3. Regulation of visits to the school by parents, community members or news media.
4. All visitors check in at a centralized location prior to gaining full access to the school or
office site.
5. Each school site maintains a log showing the names of visitors and the date, time and
purpose of each visit.
Date Warned: July 5, 2023
Date Adopted:
Legal References: 16 VSA §1484
Cross References: E15 Security Cameras
E17 Fire and Emergency Preparedness Drills
WINDHAM SOUTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT
Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Putney
Vermont
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