Carmel Clay Schools administrators are proposing updates to school handbooks that include aligning the middle school and high school dress codes and addressing cheating by using artificial intelligence.
David Woodward, CCS director of student services, presented the changes at the Aug. 14 school board meeting. The board is expected to vote on the proposed updates at its Aug. 28 meeting.
The only proposed change to the middle school handbook is to replace the “Dress and Grooming” guidelines with those in place at the high school.
School board member Greg Brown said he believes the high school dress code “seems to be a little bit looser,” as the current middle school dress code specifically prohibits items such as “short skirts and shorts” and “plunging necklines” while the proposed version is less specific.
Woodward said that “sometimes specificity ties our hands a little bit” and confirmed that the high school dress code has been effective.
“In our discussions with the principals what we found was that the old language was almost too prescriptive, and suddenly rather than dealing with clothing that may be disrupting the educational environment, a student may come in and say, ‘According to your policy, my clothes actually meet the requirements,’” Woodward said. “So, it became difficult to police.”
He also said that when a dress code issue is raised, the district attempts to communicate with students and parents to find a solution rather than discipline on a first offense.
School board member Kristin Kouka said she appreciates the districts’ effort to involve parents in the discussion.
“As a parent of three kids who are in the schools, that’s what I’d want,” she said. “If there’s a problem with what one of my children is wearing I would appreciate it being brought to me and we can discuss it as a family.”
School board member Louise Jackson said she supports bringing consistency to the middle school and high school dress and grooming guidelines.
“When we’re talking about skirts, shorts and blouses (as included in the current middle school code), I know that some people’s ears will perk up and they’ll say, ‘I feel like some of these policies can be biased,’” Jackson said. “I wonder if this will alleviate some of that.”
A proposed update to the high school handbook includes adding artificial intelligence to a list of unauthorized devices or programs that could lead to cheating or plagiarism by giving students an unfair advantage or representing work that’s not their own.
No changes are proposed to the elementary school handbook.
Other action at the school board meeting included:
- Setting public hearings on Aug. 28 and Sept. 11 for 2024 facility projects to be funded with a lease rental bond.
- Adopting a resolution in support of military families as part of an effort to receive Indiana Purple Star Designation at all CCS campuses.
- Recognizing behavior specialist Gaye Kerschner for receiving the Meritorious Instructor Status Award.
