This bill amends current law to prohibit school districts from denying a student admittance to school based on tardiness or violations of dress code or school uniform policies. Specifically, it states that students cannot be penalized for tardiness or for not adhering to a school uniform policy, with the exception of cases where a student's attire indicates gang affiliation associated with criminal activities.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that while students cannot be denied admittance for these reasons, school boards retain the authority to enforce their adopted student codes of conduct or policies that do not conflict with this new provision. This ensures that while students are protected from being barred from school for tardiness or dress code violations, schools can still maintain discipline and uphold other behavioral standards.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:11-8