Shawsheen Tech Unanimously Adopts New Gender-Neutral Dress Code Language

BILLERICA — November 28, 2023 — Shawsheen Tech School Committee unanimously rewrote its contested dress code and received a near-doubling of Class of 2028 applications at its November 28 meeting. The committee replaced a provision about exposed torsos — which Principal Jessica Cook said had generated 12 incidents since September, all involving female students — with two sentences placing responsibility on students and parents and requiring only that clothing be "conducive to a learning environment" and meet applicable shop safety requirements. Cook told the committee that a school council vote on the earlier revision had split 5-4, with three of the four dissenters being parents, and that staff had largely stopped enforcing the existing language. "I think people are very afraid to address anything around dress code. They want to teach," she said. Superintendent Tony McIntosh reported 401 qualified applicants for the incoming freshman class as of that afternoon, up from roughly 200 at the same point last year, crediting a revamped middle school roadshow featuring student ambassadors and short video clips; Burlington alone submitted 49 applications. Co-op coordinator Brian Smith reported 217 seniors — 66 percent of the senior class — currently placed with 185 employers, having earned a combined $800,000 since April.