The Mercedes Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a slightly laxer dress code Tuesday.
According to Rodolfo Canales, Jr., the district’s safe schools and student services coordinator, a committee reviewed the student code of conduct in April, which was followed up with a meeting with student representatives and ultimately a meeting of administrators in June that led to some slight changes.
“We’ve been seeing that districts around the Valley, their dress code has been changing,” Canales said. “We don’t want to stay too far behind, but we also don’t want to become too liberal either.”
One local district to consider their dress code this year was Donna ISD, which characterized the decision as an effort to keep kids in class in a post-pandemic environment that’s exceptionally competitive in terms of enrollment.
At Mercedes, no changes were made at the elementary level. Students above that level will have slightly less restrictive rules regarding ripped blue jeans, hair length and earrings.
“Previously, they [earrings] were not allowed for the boys,” Canales said. “We have allowed it — we’re starting to allow it. That trend is changing, and it’s there. So we allow one earring for both girls and boys, OK. One.”
The sole policy being made more restrictive relates to nail polish. Canales said previously black nail polish was prohibited for boys; now it’s not allowed for both boys and girls.
“But polish is — general colors, for both male and female,” he said.
The changes met no board opposition and Superintendent Richard Rivera asked principals in the audience if they found the changes acceptable. They seemed to give a general assent.
