Dress rule dropped: Norwin girls can wear pants to graduation

Norwin school officials backed down from a standing graduation guideline suggesting senior girls wear dresses under their gowns for the ceremony.

Female grads now will be allowed the option of wearing dress pants, like their male classmates, beginning with the commencement ceremony May 24.

In what could be considered equal treatment of all graduates, regardless of gender, school officials on Thursday revised the commencement dress guidelines in the wake of senior Hannah Kozak’s request to the school board that she be permitted to wear slacks to commencement. Such attire would have violated the school district’s previous guideline that the female seniors had to wear a light-colored dress or skirt that did not fall below the length of the gown.

Michael Choby, high school principal, granted Kozak permission to wear professional attire, including pants, to the graduation ceremony. The administration, however, said Kozak indicated she wanted all students to have the option of wearing the additional clothing.

The decision to modify the guidelines was made following several meetings and discussions, including input from administrators, senior class faculty advisers, the school district solicitor and Kozak.

Neither Kozak nor Lori Anselmino, a senior class adviser, could be reached for comment.

The modified guideline, which will apply to future ceremonies, as well, continues to ban the seniors from wearing athletic clothing, tennis shoes, jeans, sandals, sunglasses and any non-school issued items on the cap or gown, the administration said.

Guidelines for attire at commencement and vespers is not new, but had been a longstanding tradition in Norwin, the administration said.

“The guidelines reflected, and continue to reflect, the tradition of community pride, excellence and decorum of the Norwin School District,” the administration said in a statement.