Students in most of the Bay News 9 viewing area are returning to the classroom today for the start of the 2015-16 school year.
Two weeks after the new school year got started in Citrus County, the first day of school is taking place in Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Hernando and Manatee counties. Children in Hillsborough County are enjoying one more day of summer before returning Tuesday.
Related Information
- Back to school photos
- Back to school start dates
- Back to school health and safety
- School breakfast and lunch programs
Of course, the dress code is something parents all across the region are grappling with.
In Pinellas County, there's no uniform policy for the full district. Instead, decisions on what students can wear are left to school administrators. Each school has specific rules students have to follow. They can't wear anything disruptive or offensive, distracting or revealing.
District officials say the topic of uniforms comes up each year and they've found it works best to let each school to decide its specific dress code.
"For some schools, it's just a way to eliminate the distraction of what people are wearing and have a uniform school community," district spokesperson Lisa Wolf said. "It just makes behavior issues a little easier, so we really allow principals to make that determination on whether that's an appropriate choice for their school or not, because they're the ones who know their community best."