An updated dress code for students at the middle and high schools was approved Monday as a number of interested parents and students looked on during the Kingfisher Board of Education’s regular August meeting.

The board voted 4-0 to adopt the code, which didn’t vary greatly from the proposal that didn’t pass through during the July meeting.

“I know it’s not going to make everyone happy, but we are trying to make something that was enforceable,” said Superintendent Dr. Daniel Craig during about 15 minutes of discussion before the vote.

Administrators proposed a gender-neutral dress code during last month’s meeting that essentially called for all students’ clothing to cover from shoulder to shoulder to three to four inches of inseam.

Board member Terry Payne questioned that proposal, namely the length of inseam.

“I think that’s too short,” he said, prompting a lengthy discussion at the time.

The board voted 3-1 last month to push discussion of the proposal to this August meeting.

Carly Franks cast the dissenting vote at the time, adding: “I know our ad ministrators put a lot of time and effort into putting together their recommendation and I fully support them.”

Board member Charles Walker was absent from the July meeting.

Walker and Franks were joined by Dana Golbek and Jim Perdue in passing the newest proposal.

Payne was absent from this meeting.

The newest proposal states “the entire area from shoulder to shoulder and from the shoulders to four inches below the hip/pelvic region (ie. a four-inch inseam), including buttocks, should be covered at all times.”

The policy goes on to state: “Clothing must properly conceal undergarments at all times. Leggings and tights must be covered by an opaque top that covers the hip/pelvis region, including the buttocks.”

Among the items not permitted are swimsuits, tank tops or muscle shirts, halter tops or tube tops, seethrough shirts unless over appropriate clothing and midriff shirts.

The exception to the four-inch inseam rule will be dresses and skirts, which must be fingertip length.

Kenny Lunsford, who has two daughters in the high school and another in the middle school, addressed the board during the public participation portion of the meeting.

“I just don’t want to find out that three days before school starts we have to go spend a bunch of money on jeans or longer shorts,” he said.

Lunsford also had discussion with board members when it was discussed on the agenda.

The sticking point during previous discussions - and at this meeting - was how some shorts fit different body types differently and, also, how the code appeared to be aimed at girls.

“It seems like they’re always picking on girls to protect the boys,” Lunsford said. “We’re trying to police the girls for the guys. I’m not saying I don’t agree with what you’re trying to do. I’m just saying I don’t like the reasoning behind it.

“I don’t want the policy to start here, but continue to go further.”

Franks asked KMS Principal Keith Campbell and KHS Principal Jay Wood if they supported the most recent proposal.

“Absolutely,” Campbell said.

Added Wood: “It’s pretty much the same (as last month’s). The problem still goes back to the Nike shorts. They don’t make those with four-inch inseams.”

Enforcement was then brought to the table.

“I will stand by that if we do enforce it by the letter of the policy, by the letter of the law, 60 percent of our girls will go home the first day of school…and nobody wants that,” Campbell said. “Nobody.”

Wood said the portion of the policy that states principals can use their discretion and “clothing must be appropriate for school attire” is how he will police it.

“I’m not going to send girls home if it’s appropriate and if their booty’s not hanging out,” he said.

“If their booty is hanging out and it’s inappropriate, I’m sending them home. That’s what we were trying to get the first time (we proposed it).”

The board’s vote actually changed board policy, which Craig discovered since last month’s meeting.

He said board policy regarding a dress code was originally adopted in October 2005 and revised in May 2012.

“I discovered the dress code in our handbook and our board policy didn’t even match up,” he said.

The board policy will now replace what’s in the handbooks for middle and high school students.

More than 80 guests signed in at the meeting, though most left after the public participation portion of the agenda that saw two people speak in favor of the high school football coaches (See story on Page 1A).

However, about a dozen middle and high school girls stayed until after the vote on the dress code.

(Ed. note: Twenty new staff members were hired and the board acted on a number of other items at the meeting. See our weekend edition for more information on those moves.)