This page provides answers to frequently asked questions about the rights of K-12 public school students in RI as they relate to school dress codes.
People often express who they are and what they believe with what they wear. Because students maintain certain constitutional rights to free expression when they are in a public school, their decisions about their appearance are, to some extent, protected as well. NOTE: Public school district policies on these issues vary greatly, and there will sometimes be disagreements about what constitutes appropriate clothing. A school’s dress code policy can usually be found in the student handbook.