- May 18, 2026
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As the bell rings announcing the end of the school day, Daniella Vallarta, a junior at Lakewood Ranch High School, heads for the door.
As she heads home in the afternoon heat, she sheds layers of clothing that are required because of the school's dress code.
“I’m mostly upset about the no shoulders rule, because it gets so hot in Florida,” Vallarta said. “It seems absurd being yelled at for wearing a tank top or shorts.”
Vallarta said she has plenty of friends from out of state who are baffled by how conservative Florida's dress code can be for students. They said their schools run smoothly without so many regulations.
Discussion of the School District of Manatee County dress code took place at the school board meeting May 5, as it is one of the areas of potential changes in the student code of conduct.
School Board Member Heather Felton said the dress code has been a longtime irritant for her, because she said there is a double standard when it comes to what teachers can wear versus the rules for students.
To emphasize her point, she took off her blazer during the meeting to reveal a sleeveless shirt that she could wear as an educator, while students could not wear the same blazer in class.
“This is not fair to say that a shoulder is inappropriate,” Felton said. “If somebody has a problem with my shoulders and they feel it is inappropriate in a sexual way, they need to grow up.”
School Board Vice Chair Richard Tatem said he understands the concern, but he wouldn't change the dress code.
"You have better judgment as an adult, as a teacher," Tatem said. "Students coming in are not going to have that same judgment that you would have."
Felton said she has dealt with broken down air conditioning systems, and has worked as a teacher in Florida's heat and humidity.
Francesca Bisordi, a junior at Lakewood Ranch High, is a member of the wrestling team. She said most of her teammates change into shorts and tank tops, or singlets, for wrestling.
"Considering the fact that we go to an outdoor school in the Florida heat and humidity, it’s such an unnecessary burden to have to worry about covering up most of our skin during school atop all of the other pressures we have to deal with," Bisordi said.
The district also is considering the ban of blankets on campus. Students have carried a blanket at times to deal with the chill from air conditioning.
"Often I’ll wear clothes for a hot environment, then I need a blanket for the freezing cold gym," Bisordi said. "It’s not fair to be so strict that it affects our comfort so much."
Felton and Cindy Spray, the chair of the school board, both said it is important to consider different heights and body types when outlining the rules for the dress code. The same article of clothing could look completely different based on those characteristics.
School Board Member Chad Choate said he would not want to be the judge of what is appropriate for students to wear.
“I want to make it as easy as possible for our staff to function throughout the day,” Choate said. “We already have to deal with so much stuff and this dress code is pretty simple.”
“If the language was changed, it would have to say absolutely no spaghetti straps and absolutely no tank tops are allowed,” Spray said. “However, a sleeveless shirt or cap sleeve could be. I don't think teachers would have to go out and start measuring. It's a simple rule, use your four fingers and if it covers your shoulders, that's allowed.”
Wrenn Pevzner-Downer, a freshman at Lakewood Ranch High School, said the dress code could be more lenient for everyone. She said it is enforced unfairly and inconsistently.
“A lot of girls get dress-coded quickly for things like a small amount of midriff showing while boys can sag their pants all day and usually nothing happens to them,” Pevzner-Downer said.
Anthony Sizemore, a freshman at Braden River High, said the dress code is fair for students who are both male and female, but like anything, he said improvements could be made. He said students who are found to violate dress codes are often trying to follow trends they see on TikTok.
“I feel it (the dress code) keeps us, as minors, safe and can also lead to less distractions in the classroom,” Sizemore said.
Lincoln Lis, a junior who plays football at Braden River High, said the dress code hasn’t been a popular topic of conversation when he is interacting with his peers. He agrees with the current dress code because it prepares students for their futures.
Mindy Pevzner, Wrenn’s mother, said she would prefer the students wear school uniforms.
“I know my teen and I differ in opinion on this one, and that’s OK,” Pevzner said. “However, if uniforms were in place, the inconsistent enforcement would be a moot point.”
Rennie Finck, a math teacher at Lakewood Ranch, said students often wear clothes “much more suited for home and the gym” including leggings, slippers and pajama pants. She said those items are normal and accepted attire at this point.
She said school uniforms, for both teachers and students, could solve a lot of the problems in this regard.
“Our dress code is clear and well-intentioned, but when it isn’t able to be consistently enforced for various reasons, it stops being a rule and sets a precedent that other guidelines may be ignored and don’t matter as well,” Finck said.
Before LRHS, Vallarta attended Lake Pointe Academy, a charter school in Clermont, with strict uniforms. The students wore collared shirts in either blue, white, or green with dress pants or skirts in either black, navy, or khaki. She was glad to start expressing herself through clothing, and has made over half of her friends through her fashion choices.
“Fashion is part of interacting at schools, it really is,” Spray said. “They talk about their shirt or their pants or their earrings or their necklace and all that kind of stuff. Guys talk about different shoes.”
Vallarta doesn’t want uniforms, she wants an opportunity to express herself while also being comfortable in the Florida heat. When she wasn’t doing well mentally, her routine of picking out her outfits as a form of self expression is what got her to get out of bed in the morning.
“‘Look good, feel good’ is definitely a phrase I live by,” Vallarta said. “Exploring different forms of fashion and dressing up for school is a very big part of my identity.”
