Uniform Dress Code Policy

TEMECULA PREPARATORY SCHOOL

UNIFORM DRESS CODE POLICY 2024-2025

Approved by the Temecula Preparatory School Board of Directors on January 18, 2023 .

Temecula Preparatory School is a school of choice.  In order to facilitate and maintain an effective, healthy and safe learning environment, the administration, staff, and parents of TPS have developed this Uniform Dress Code Policy (“Policy”).  The purpose of this Policy is to prepare students for the business world, prevent distractions in class and on campus, and minimize the potential for competition between students.  All students are expected to wear clothes that comply with this Policy to school each day, and on field trips, and are subject to the enforcement provisions of this Policy below.  This Policy and the school’s uniform dress code is an important part of our students’ classical education, and is part of our Student and Family Compact.  

This Policy has been adopted by the Board of Directors in compliance with the provisions of Article IX, section 5 of the California Constitution, and Assembly Bill 1575 (effective January 1, 2013), which prohibit the charging of any student fees for participation in an educational activity at a public school.

Changes to this dress code policy will not be implemented with less than six months’ notice to parents or guardians. The school will make available appropriate resources to assist any student who cannot afford a uniform that complies with the school’s uniform policy.

UNIFORM DRESS CODE

All clothing must fit appropriately, be conservative and modest.  Excessively tight-fitting or loose-fitting items are not allowed.  All items must match the color AND description listed below for each area of the dress code.  Colors referred to in the dress code should closely match the colors shown in the following link:  click here.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Hair Styles & Facial Hair:  Must be neat, clean, and out of the eyes.  Students may not wear spiked hair, faux hawk or Mohawk cuts. Students may have tastefully colored hair in one natural shade (black, brown, auburn, blonde and natural red hair color) and natural colored highlights in the same tone as the hair color For the purpose of this policy, rainbow colors are not considered natural hair colors. It is encouraged that hair accessories be red, white, navy blue, green, TPS (Belair) plaid, or natural hair colors. Faces are to be clean-shaven without sideburns below the middle of the ear. 

Jewelry, Piercings and Tattoos:  Skin should be clean with no visible body piercings, dermal piercings or tattoos. Only ear piercings are permitted as described.  Students may wear up to two stud or post earrings on each earlobe; one (1) necklace, one (1) bracelet on each arm, and one (1) watch.  Hoop earrings, regardless of size, are not allowed due to safety concerns.  Gauge earrings, cartilage piercings, ear cuffs, and more than two pairs of stud earrings, are not permitted. Choker necklaces are not permitted.  All jewelry must be conservative, minimal, appropriate for school, and safe.  Students will be asked to remove any jewelry that does not fit these requirements.  

Makeup and Nails:  

TK-6:  Students in grades TK-6 may not wear any makeup. Students may wear nail polish.  Polish must be a light, subtle color on naturally shaped and natural nail lengths.  Nails must be well maintained and free of designs.  No acrylic or artificial nails. 

7-12:  Students in grades 7-12 may wear makeup in soft, modestly applied colors. Soft natural colored eyeliner that is similar to natural eye color is allowed (e.g. brown, black, gray, blue, or green) and may be applied naturally and not excessively. Glitter makeup, sparkling makeup, face paint, and distracting facial accessories are not allowed . Nail polish on naturally shaped and natural nail lengths is allowed.  Nails must be well maintained and free of designs.  No acrylic or artificial nails.  

Hats and Scarves:  Solid color, plain or TPS baseball caps may be worn for sun protection purposes during breaks, lunches, and P.E. only. Inappropriate hats will be confiscated.  Knit hats or beanies for cold weather may also be worn.  However, knit hats must be one solid color (red, white, blue, black, or green) with no visible logos, clean, and neat.  All hats with a bill must be worn with the bill facing forward.  All hats must be removed upon entering the classroom.  Scarves are also permitted and must be solid white, navy blue, green, red, or black.

P.E. Wear:  Students in grades 7-12 must wear a plain crew neck heather gray or navy blue t-shirt, and heather gray or navy blue shorts during P.E. classes.  P.E. shorts must be no shorter than mid-thigh and no longer than below the knee.  Students may also wear a light gray or navy pullover or zip-up sweatshirt and/or light gray or navy blue sweatpants.  P.E. wear must be clean and neat, and fit appropriately.    Appropriate athletic shoes must be worn during P.E. for safety reasons. 

Free Dress/Spirit Days/Themed Dress Days:  If and when free dress, spirit day, or themed dress day is granted to students, all items of clothing worn must be clean and neat (no holes, rips or tears) and must be modest in style and in message (logos or phrases). Leggings and jeggings are not permitted.  Tank tops, low cut, see-through, and bare midriff shirts are not allowed.  Shorts must be no shorter than mid-thigh and no longer than the knee in length.   Skorts/Shorts may be no shorter than 3 inches from the top of the knee all the way around.  No open toed shoes, sandals, heels over ½ an inch, or boots are allowed due to safety concerns. Back strap required on shoes, no slides. If students decide to participate in a themed dress or spirit day, they must follow the theme as described in the advertisement, which is approved by administration.  Should students choose not to participate in the advertised attire for those days, the regular day dress code attire should be worn.

Patriots Day:  All items of clothing worn must represent the TPS Patriots.  Students may wear shirts or sweatshirts that have “Temecula Preparatory School”, “Patriots”, “TPS”, “Temecula Prep”, “T-Prep”, or the Patriots logo included on the shirt or sweatshirt.  Students may also wear their TPS polo shirts.  Regular solid blue jeans, black jeans, or school dress code compliant pants, shorts, or skorts are permitted. No overalls. Dress code compliant shoes must be worn.  All items of clothing worn must be clean, neat (no holes, rips or tears), no faded garments, and all garments must be modest in style.  Leggings and jeggings are not permitted.  Tank tops, low cut, see-through, and bare midriff shirts are not allowed.  Shorts must be no shorter than mid-thigh and no longer than the knee in length.  Skorts/Shorts may be no shorter than 3 inches from the top of the knee all the way around.  Patriots Day attire can be worn each Friday.

Game Day:  Students who are members of a TPS team may wear approved Spirit Wear on game/competition days only if the spirit wear complies with the dress code in color and style. Sports team attire is not to be worn as a school uniform on non game days.

TPS Patches: The TPS “crest” patch must be worn on the left-side of the chest (over the heart) of the regular day dress code polo shirt. 

Distracting Items:  Any items causing distraction to the learning community are not allowed.  

MISCELLANEOUS:

Underclothes:  No article of underclothing is to ever be visible while at school or while representing TPS at a remote location.  Only a plain white tee shirt that is visible at the neck is allowed.  

Blankets: Blankets are not considered clothing for the purposes of the dress code and may not be brought to school for cold weather wear due to safety and health concerns.

Dress code items may be purchased from any source.  The TPS logo items are available through Dennis Uniform Company in San Diego at 4217 Ponderosa Avenue, Suite D. Call 1-858-573-1804 or visit www.dennisuniform.com.  TPS logo items are also available through Wolfpack Enterprises Inc. in Temecula. Visit their website at www.wolfpackenterprisesinc.com or call/text 951-695-1928.

ENFORCEMENT

If a student arrives at school in nonconforming clothing, the student will be asked to call home to contact their parent/guardian and the parent/guardian is expected to bring the student conforming clothing.  If the parent cannot provide conforming clothing, the student will be provided with conforming clothing by the school, when possible, that must be worn for the day.  In addition, students may not alter their conforming clothing at any time that violates this Policy.

The consequences for violating dress code are as follows:

For the first and second offense, the student will be issued a written warning as a reminder to review 

and follow this Policy. The student will be required to adjust their clothing to comply with this Policy.

After 3 or more offenses, the student and parent will be notified of his/her habitual noncompliance. The student will be assigned detention and the student must adjust their clothing to comply with this Policy.

As applicable, students whose violations of this Policy continue to be habitual, further discipline will be administered which could include suspension. 

PLEASE NOTE:  In any and all cases concerning interpretation of this Policy, the school administration reserves the absolute right to determine what constitutes proper compliance.  The school will make available appropriate resources to assist any student who cannot afford a uniform that complies with the school’s uniform dress code Policy.

Students or parents requesting an exemption from any provision of this Policy for religious or other reasons should contact School Administration directly to request the exemption.

Exemption Procedure:

Any parent or guardian who chooses to exempt a student from this Policy must comply with the following procedure:

1. The parent or guardian must submit a written request for exemption to the Head of School that includes a description of the basis for the claim as well as documentation supporting the basis for the claim. This written exemption will remain confidential and on file for the duration of the school year.

1. Documentation must include but is not necessarily limited to such evidence as a doctor’s note for claims of exemption that are based on medical reasons, a letter from a religious official for claims based on religious reasons, or letters from a tribal council or other authenticating agency for claims based on cultural reasons.

1. All exemption requests must be made within the first 30 days of each school year and will be handled on an annual basis, and thus must be requested annually.  Except in the case of a transfer student who enrolls after the first 30 days of school, they will be given 30 days from their official enrollment date to submit an exemption request.

Pursuant California Education Code 35183, No student shall be sent home from school or denied attendance to school, or penalized academically or otherwise discriminated against or barred attendance from school, for arriving at school in clothing that does not comply with this Policy.  Changes to this dress code Policy will not be implemented with less than six months’ notice to parents or guardians.