MARYVILLE, Tenn. — As Maryville students prepare to head back to school on Aug. 6, some might want to go shopping for new clothing.
New dress code rules passed by the Maryville City School Board in May allow for certain types of ripped jeans and leggings.
School board chairwoman Bethany Pope said the new rules were designed to help students wear clothing to school that represents their personal style, but is still modest.
"They need to make sure those tight pants are opaque and that their shirt that they wear with it is also opaque and has a decent amount of coverage in the back and in the front," Pope said.
Ripped pants may be worn so long as the holes are not mid-thigh or above, Pope said. The new rules also stipulate that shirts may not completely cover shorts or skirts.
"Honestly, the dress code really fits what our students have been wearing anyway," Pope said. "We asked a lot of questions before we came up with the dress code."
Recent Maryville schools graduate Daniel Toombs said he understands the need for a dress code.
"I really respected it. I thought it was pretty easy to follow," he said. "I just wore jeans and a polo pretty much every day."
He said having a detailed dress code ensures everyone is clothed appropriately and puts the emphasis on learning.
"It's important," Toombs said. "It really makes like the overall focus to be more on academics rather than what you're wearing."
For girls, navigating the dress code can be a bit trickier. Jillian McDonald, who will start high school this August, said Maryville city schools are stricter with dress codes than those in the rest of Blount County.
"[Maryville] cares a lot more about dress codes than other schools do," she said. "They don't allow holes above the knees, they don't allow like your shoulder showing or anything like that."
While she said she believes having defined dress codes are important, she said some of the rules go farther than necessary.
"You're allowed to wear shorts, but you can't wear holes above your knees. Like that doesn't really make sense," she said. "I think that's a little ridiculous."