The Baggy Pants Law states that students' pants must be secured at the waist. Cooper City High School's administration has been enforcing this rule with numerous consequences. Photo Credit: KAYLEE OBERFIELD
BY EMILY PERL
Cooper City High School has implemented new rules for the 2011 – 2012 school year, including the law against baggy pants, the use of cell phones during school, and the prohibition of items being dropped off by parents.
One new rule that stands out is the new Baggy Pants Law, which also includes other aspects of the dress code. If pants are worn too low or if they expose underwear, it is considered a violation. This new law is not just in effect for boys. The rule also applies to girls, saying that girls should not be wearing anything too tight or too short. If the student continues to break dress code rules, serious action will be taken, including having internal suspension, or not being allowed to be involved in extra curricular activities.
On the first warning, the student’s parent will be notified. On the second warning, the student’s parent will need to come in for a conference. On the third warning, the student will loose their right to extra curricular activities for 5 days. If the dress code violations persist, the student will continue to not be allowed to attend any extra curricular activities..
Another rule taking effect this year affects parking decals. Decals may be taken away if a student has six or more tardies in nine weeks, or if they are absent for fifteen days within a 90-day period. Also, if students are caught leaving campus when they are not supposed to, they can lose their decal.
An additional rule change this year is the use of cell phones during school hours. Phones cannot be used during class, but students can use them in between periods and during lunch.
“I’m so glad that I can use my phone in between classes to make plans with my friends before the end of the day,” senior Amanda Winer said.
Parents will also not be able to drop items off in the office anymore. If a student leaves something at home, the parent is not allowed to bring it in. In the past, it has been too much of a distraction to constantly have students leaving class.
“I’m not really happy this rule came into effect,” senior Ashley Bishop said. “It was nice knowing that if I forgot an assignment, my mom could bring it in for me.”
As most students know, cheating is strictly prohibited. If a student is caught cheating, they will need to have a parent conference as well as plead their case in honor court. If the student is found guilty, then serious action will be taken including being expelled from clubs such as National Honor Society.
This year, new bathroom passes have taken effect. There are two different colors to indicate which building the student is from. Yellow is for the 100-200’s building and blue is for the 3400’s building. This allows teachers and staff to easily recognize where a student should be when they are out of class.
“The purpose of these passes is to make sure everyone is where they are suppose to be,” Behavior specialist Mr. Elder said.
Along with the color-coded passes, students are required to sign out and sign back in when they leave a classroom. Knowing where they are can help ensure the students safety in case of an emergency.
For further clarification about these rules and others, you can look in the student code of conduct book located on the Cooper City High School website.
