The Nixa school board has updated its dress code policy to outlaw lingerie, visible undergarments and body paint at the junior high and high school.
At the June 22 meeting, the board also tweaked rules regarding the public displays of affection involving students on school property or at school events.
Fondling and groping, formerly described as PDA in the student handbook, were reclassified as “sexual activity” and trigger tougher discipline.
The Nixa junior high and high school handbooks have long included detailed dress code rules and the bulk of it remains the same, officials said.
Jared Webster, executive director of secondary education, said the changes were “a response to current trends.”
“What we always say is what is acceptable to wear on a Friday night out is not always acceptable to wear to school,” he said. “Sometimes a specific piece of clothing will become very popular and it’s not appropriate for a school setting and you just have to address that.”
Webster, who was principal of Nixa Junior High until June 30, said sheer clothing was popular nearly a decade ago and prompted tweaks to the rules, which are designed to limit distractions.
“More than anything, it is assuring that we are keeping education the main priority,” he said.
The changes this year including banning lingerie of any kind and body paint and noting that “undergarments” of any kind — the rules used to just read “underwear” — could not be visible.
Webster said the body paint question may have come up in relation to what’s appropriate to wear on game day and to make clear that clothing, not just paint, is required to adequately cover up.
More: In Missouri, more school districts try to suspend licenses of teachers who break contracts
Students who violate