Why Do You Have a Dress Code?

In order to strengthen school spirit and establish unity, during the 1996-1997 school year, parents voted for all students at City Springs to wear uniforms. In 2005, parents voted during a PTO meeting to make it mandatory for students to wear uniforms Monday-Friday.

School is a place of business.  The adoption of the uniform policy is a way to deter disruptions or distractions to the learning process.  We want our students to come to school ready to work and with the proper attitude, as if they are part of the business world. 

Dress Code Requirements

The uniform requirements for all grades Pre-K through 8th are:

  • Tan, khaki, or black colored pants or jeans, slacks, and skirts
  • Purple polo shirt with the City Springs’ logo

If children are cold when in school, they should wear a long-sleeve shirt UNDER their uniform shirt, or wear a uniform sweater or sweatshirt. Logos must be seen. Students may not cover their logo shirts with a sweater, jacket or hoody. Please inquire in the main office if you would like to purchase long-sleeve sweaters or sweatshirts.

We need you, parents, to be on the same page with us in regards to our strict adherence to our dress code requirements. There is simply no acceptable excuse for coming to school out of uniform. We are not just teaching our children about proper dress; we are also teaching them about responsibility and self-discipline.

Special Requirements

These requirements apply to uniforms worn in all of the grades.

  • All shorts and skirts should be at or below the knee.
  • All polo shirts must have the City Springs logo.

The following will not be worn during school hours:

  • Large earrings and jewelry
  • Makeup including lipstick, colored lip gloss and chap stick
  • Sandals, high heels, clogs, or flip flops
  • Hats and hoodies

Please do not send students to school in jeans. This rule will apply with ALL students grades Pre-K – 8, five days per week including Friday’s. Parents will be called and asked to bring the child appropriate clothing, if we have clothing for the child we will allow them to change, or the child will be brought home by a staff member to change and brought back to school. Parents will be notified by phone or mail to discuss this problem. Please be advised that City Springs School is a charter uniform school and this decision was made by the total school community, including administrators, staff, and parents.

These requirements should provide the necessary guidelines for students to make the right decisions when they prepare for school in the morning. It is impossible to identify all of the ways that a student could dress inappropriately. There may come a time when the teacher and administrator have to determine whether a student’s attire is appropriate or not.

Parents should be diligent about teaching students responsibility for having their uniform clean and ready to wear the night before school. This is especially true over the weekend. If a student spends the weekend away from home, they should be taught to have their uniform with them so they are prepared for school on Monday. Spending the weekend away from home is not an acceptable excuse for coming to school out of uniform.

According to our policy, students who are not in the proper uniform will be taken home to change and should return to school appropriately dressed. Sending a child home to change, who is not in the proper uniform, is not a suspension. If the child does not return to school, they will be marked with an unexcused absence. They should return to school the same day, as quickly as possible dressed appropriately.

Cell Phones and Electronic Devices

Use of cell phones and personal electronic devices is prohibited in Baltimore City Public Schools. If a cell phone is seen or heard by an adult, the adult will give the student a verbal warning the first time. The second time, the parent will be notified, and the student will turn over their cell phone to the teacher, and it will be held in a secure place in the main office. If a cell phone has to be turned over from a student more than one time, that student will be forbidden to have a cell phone during the school day. If that student brings a phone to school, the student must turn it in to the office when they arrive and pick it up at dismissal.