Catasauqua resident Cindy Weiss believes the districtwide dress code and cellphone policies need to be readjusted.

Weiss, who has two sons and a daughter attending school in the school district, told the Catasauqua Area School Board her daughter, who attends Catasauqua High School, has been in violation of the dress code policy twice for wearing the same pair of jeans four times, but was only sent home once.

"She's missing out on stuff she's supposed to be learning that day," Weiss said at the board's Nov. 11 meeting.

Weiss said it is a challenge shopping for clothing for her daughter that meets the dress code policy, adding, she feels the dress code policy is gender-discriminatory.

"There's not a lot of pairs [of jeans] that come to the natural waste," she said. "It's very difficult to shop for my daughter; not so difficult to shop for my son."

Weiss said even if the district did implement a uniform policy there still would be students who do not conform.

"You are going to have those same students who wear uniforms inappropriately," she said.

District Superintendent Robert Spengler said the last formal action taken by the board was a review of the uniform policy. Two years ago, the board implemented a dress code policy prohibiting tight-fitting and torn jeans, jeans and pants below the waist and leggings.

School board President Penny Hahn said she remains unsatisfied with the status of the district dress code policy.

"I'm seeing students in some form of dress violation," Hahn said. "I think it's time to move on."

Board Vice President Carol Cunningham agreed with Hahn and said the time devoted to instruction would be increased if the district considered putting in place a uniform policy.

"The educational process that goes on in the classroom would certainly be served better," Cunningham said. "Educators would be able to concentrate more time on instruction."

Board member Dawn Berrigan expressed opposition to a uniform policy. Berrigan also believes a more stringent uniform policy would not prevent those students who continue to violate the current dress code.

"I personally think we continue to punish the kids that comply," she said.

Berrigan suggested the board consider a policy that allows students to maintain some degree of individuality, such as unique button down polo shirts.

"We have more important things than the dress code," added board member Carol McCarthy.

CHS Principal David Ascani said he would follow whatever recommendations are suggested by the board.

Spengler said he would put together uniform and dress variations and present those ideas to the board for discussion at next month's meeting.

Weiss also spoke in opposition to the cellphone policy. She said her son has been in violation of the policy twice. The past violation occurred as a result of her son's phone accidentally falling out of his pocket during lunch, she said.

"I don't think it's fair to keep [cell phones] from home use," she said.

Weiss said she would like to see the policy permit parents to come into the school to retrieve the cellphone.

"I'm his parent and I need him to have communication," she said.

Weiss also asked the board what the district policy is for ensuring personal content on confiscated cellphones is safeguarded.

Spengler said the district will only access the contents of the cellphone if it has reasonable suspicion of a problem.

Ascani said, behind dress code violations, cellphone violations are the second highest this year, amounting to 60 violations as of the first week in November.

Cunninghan and Berrigan said they would like to see the cellphone policy revisited and possibly revised.

"We've got a lot of things to talk about," Spengler added.

The board will hold its next meeting 7 p.m. Dec. 5 in the district administration office board room at Sheckler Elementary School.