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The Chambers County Board of Education held a called board meeting on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, where several key items were approved, ranging from personnel changes and internet safety measures to the 2025-2026 student dress code.

After opening formalities, the board amended the agenda to include a new item concerning surplus from the Bus Annex and the minutes from the May 21 meeting were approved with no revisions.

Second on the agenda was the approval of routine personnel changes. The majority of these adjustments were aimed at preparing for the district’s summer school programming. Superintendent Dr. Sharon Weldon noted that the changes included both professional and support staff, some of whom would be working on an as-needed basis.

Another item on the agenda was the approval of the updated Internet Safety Policy, a required compliance measure following the recently enacted FOCUS Act which was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey in May 2025 and bans the use of smartphones and other wireless devices by students in K-12 classrooms. Director of Technology, Michael Sanders, explained that the district already has strong filters in place—including Palo Alto and Aristotle K-12—the policy was updated to reflect new state mandates. These mandates include limiting student access to age-appropriate content, restricting social media use and blocking unsafe platforms. Sanders also noted the district’s ability to locate missing Chromebooks. 

The 2025–2026 Student Dress Code was approved. Dr. Weldon noted that feedback had been gathered on proposed revisions and updates were made based on majority preferences. 

The board also approved surplus items from Valley High School, Huguley Elementary, and the Bus Shop Annex. Some of the items, including Chromebooks, were deemed outdated or no longer repairable. Sanders explained that Chromebooks typically have a six-year lifespan due to software update limitations. However, many parts from surplus Chromebooks are salvaged and reused. Federal programs have helped fund replacement parts such as screens and keyboards, reducing the need to dip into local funds.

In her Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Weldon shared updates on credit recovery and summer school programs, praising principals and Dr. Jones for actively recruiting strong candidates to fill open positions. She acknowledged challenges in hiring secondary educators but expressed confidence in ongoing efforts. Facilities maintenance and moving furniture due to recent school consolidation remain a high priority, and Dr. Weldon mentioned working with local agencies to repurpose empty buildings. She plans to coordinate getting help to transport usable items from the empty buildings to other schools.

The next regular board meeting is rescheduled for June 25, due to overlapping superintendent and school board conferences.

After the board meeting, the Chambers County School District made the following post on their Facebook page in regards to the 2025-2026 Student Dress Code:

The School Board acknowledges that a correlation exists between good grooming, personal attire, and student achievement. A similar relationship exists between student dress and acceptable standards of conduct. The dress code is designed to allow for student comfort while maintaining an environment conducive to learning and appropriate for the educational setting. Students are expected to follow the dress code while at school, on a school bus, or at a school function (on and off campus).

All students are expected to be neat, clean, and appropriately dressed at all times. Students will be restricted from attending and/or participating in school-sponsored activities dressed or groomed in such a manner that it is disruptive to the operation of the educational program or creates a health or safety problem.

Shirts and Dresses:

• Shirts – Collared or crew neck shirt, or dresses with sleeves or turtleneck – with or without logo
• Solid, striped, or patterned allowed
• School Spirit (your school or feeder pattern schools) T Shirt
• Tucking in shirts is not required.
• Sweatshirts and Sweaters:
• Solid, striped, or patterned allowed
• School Spirit Sweatshirts are allowed
• Hoodies – Hoods cannot be worn on the head while in school buildings

Pants:

• Shorts, pants, jumpers, capris, skirts, or skorts
• Any solid-colored pants, including denim
• No rips, holes, or tears
• Jeggings or tights permitted under dresses or skirts, but not alone
• Clothing must be of the appropriate length and fit to be acceptable; short pants and skirts must extend beyond either the fingertips when the student extends arms downward along their sides or reach the mid-thigh, whichever is longer.
• Pants must be worn at the waist.

Shoes/Footwear

• All students will wear closed-toed and closed-heeled shoes at all times
• House shoes, flip-flops, sandals, slides, shoes with cleats, and shoes with wheels are not permitted.

Coats and Jackets:

• Any color (mixed or solid)
• No pictures, emblems, or writings on coats or jackets that:

• Are lewd, offensive, vulgar, or obscene
• Advertises or depicts tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other illegal substance, or contains fighting words, or incites criminal activity
• Create a disruption to the learning environment

• If jackets/coats have hoods, then hoods cannot be worn on the head while in school buildings.

Items not allowed to be worn by students:

• Wind pants/Sweatpants (allowed as part of PE uniform only)
• Velour pants
• Oversized or ripped clothing
• Clothing with cuts, slits, holes or slashes
• Clothing with a revealing low-cut neckline, bare midriff, and see-through material.
• Sleeveless shirts
• Overcoats/Trench Coats
• Sunglasses (unless a documented medical reason is provided)
• No head coverings – Religious and/or medical exemptions are given with appropriate documentation.
• Grades 6-12 – No athletic shorts can be worn during the regular school day
• No clothing article or apparel that displays obscene words, pictures, or designs, including but not limited to any article that conveys a sexually suggestive remark, violence-related, gang-related, a pro-alcohol message, a tobacco and/or drug-related message.