Schools: Dress classy, stay sober for homecoming

COEUR d'ALENE - High school students who want to dance will have several opportunities in upcoming weeks, but officials are reinforcing school dance policies for homecoming events.

Coeur d'Alene High School will hold the first homecoming dance in the county today, with its rivals at Lake City High School holding theirs Sept. 26. Coeur d'Alene School District spokeswoman Laura Rumpler told The Press Friday that students are expected to adhere to dress and behavior codes if they want to attend.

"Administration is reinforcing their expectations for appropriate dress and behavior to students and families as part of a back to school effort to set a respectful tone for the school year," Rumpler said.

For the last two weeks, Rumpler said daily school announcements have reminded high schoolers in the district that there are expectations, found in the student handbook, for how they should dress at school and school functions such as dances.

Attention to the dress code policy began in 2011, Rumpler said, when a superintendent's task force was formed to review policies. The district board of trustees reviewed the policy last summer, she added, but did not make any changes.

Students found in violation of the dress code will not be allowed to enter the dance, which was recently changed to semi-formal dress. Anyone who attempts to enter the dance and is found in violation of the dress code will also be sent home.

"Both the administration and student leadership felt that the change would help increase attendance, positive behavior at the dance and curb dress code infractions that occurred at more casual dances," Rumpler said.

All bags and purses will be searched, and students must take a breathalyzer test - attended by a school resource officer - prior to being allowed into the dance.

This practice, according to Rumpler, keeps alcohol and drugs out of the schools and helps to keep students safe while at the dance, and when they drive home.

"We take pride in being a premier high school and are proud of the amazing students who attend this school," Coeur d'Alene High School Principal Warren Olson wrote in an email to parents this week. "We sincerely thank you for your support with our decision to enforce board policy regarding dress code at our homecoming dance."

Post Falls High School will hold its homecoming dance on Sept. 26, and district Superintendent Jerry Keane told The Press Friday that the dress code at dances is identical to the daily dress code.

"We review the dress code and student handbook on the second day of school with the students," he said. "An administrator also goes into each classroom to discuss specific issues, and the dress code is one of them."

Keane added that the handbook, which contains information on school dances and the dress code, is distributed to students and is available online for parents to review with their children.

The policies implemented for dances, in Keane's opinion, create a great atmosphere and take any element of pressure away from students.

On Oct. 3, Lakeland High School will hold its homecoming dance. Teira Youngdell, the school's student council advisor, said the dance is semi-formal, but there isn't a set of dress code policies.

"With the socio-economics in Rathdrum, there's no way we could say 'This dress doesn't work, go home,'" Youngdell said. "They come in their best, whatever that is for them."

She added that for some of the students, their best is a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Others wear dresses or shirts with ties, Youngdell said.

"We also handed out $20-off coupons for David's Bridal, just to kind of let them know that this is more of a dress occasion, but it's not prom-type dress," she said.

Principal Conrad Underdahl said at every school dance, school administrators have breathalyzers on hand, but not everyone is breathalyzed. If there is an intoxicated student in attendance, Underdahl said, administrators contact the student's parents and the police department.

"The student would likely be cited for being under the influence," Underdahl said. "But, for the most part, we find that our kids respect the opportunity to have dances and we don't have many problems - we find that our kids do a nice job policing themselves."

Youngdell said for many years, students have been asking to have the homecoming dance on Saturday. Being granted that privilege gives students incentive to let an administrator know if there was a party prior to the dance, or if they know a student is intoxicated.

"It's really about positive reinforcement," Youngdell said. "They don't want to mess that (having a Saturday dance) up for themselves, so they're willing to sort of police each other to make sure they get to do it."