By Rupert Howell

South Panola School trustees voted Tuesday to enforce current dress code policy while directing Superintendent Dr. Keith Shaffer to begin to survey the school community beginning in January concerning feasibility of school uniforms for future school years.

Shaffer assured trustees he would talk with administrators concerning consistent strict enforcement of existing dress code policy.

The issues discussed involved teenage students at South Panola High School.

Areas of concern centered around holes in clothing, saggy pants and cleavage.

That action came after longtime board member Lygunnah Bean made the motion to continue the policy after more than an hour of discussion with parents Jay and Paula Dodd and Ed Allen who also attended the board meeting.

The Dodds said they wanted the policy enforced equitably for all students or for the school to go to mandatory uniforms and stated whether or not they involved Memphis TV news and whether their child would continue to attend South Panola hinged on the board’s decision.

The Dodds charged that the policy had been enforced erratically and their child was being discriminated against with strict enforcement while other students were not. They provided pictures to board members of students on school grounds with saggy pants and shirt tails not tucked in.

Shaffer took responsibility for a recent deviation in enforcement telling school board members that he had advised administrators not to send students home “… As long as you’re not seeing skin or (holes in clothing)  in inappropriate places.”

The high school’s handbook states,  “Holes in pants are allowed below the knee.”

Board President Sandra Darby explained that earlier complaints caused her to poll board members and tell administrators to announce the policy would again be strictly enforced and assured the Dodds, “My child has been sent home and I’m school board president.”

Trustee Buddy Gray said he wasn’t polled but told about the policy change by Darby.

High School Principal Tim Fowler said the issue is now under control and explained to trustee board members that school administrators are stationed at entrances in the morning with little problem.

He explained that problems arise when students leave the building for extra-curricular activities such as band or sports—noting where a lot of the discrepancies are being noticed.

Shaffer exclaimed that the high school does not have enough staff to patrol the parking lots and outside areas while noting that’s where most of the pictures provided by the Dodds were taken.

Batesville resident Ed Allen was allowed to speak and told board members they could have the problem fixed in a couple of weeks while stating that some students had to stop and hold their pants up before they could cross the highway without losing them.

Allen also mentioned contacting Memphis TV news about the issue stating that he didn’t think that was yet needed.

“When I think they need to be down, they’ll be down,” he stated.

“It would be nice if the city and county would pass the ‘no baggy pants ordinance’. That would solve a lot of things,” Board President Darby stated during the lengthy discussion.

“It’s not just baggy pants, it’s cleavage.” trustee Gray said, stating the dress code is a constant problem and adding, “Maybe we should go to uniforms.”

Superintendent Shaffer chimed in and said, “I’ve been in that position,” and explained pros and cons he encountered while implementing uniforms in Coahoma County where he was county superintendent of education.