CUSTER COUNTY — Rules about energy drinks and pants with spandex are being enforced at Custer County Schools. Specifically, the student handbook bans energy drinks at school, and spandex pants, like leggings, can only be worn under certain circumstances.
The Superintendent of Custer County Schools, Mike McFalls, said the ban on energy drinks is because of health concerns regarding student's hearts. "For our kids safety, we wanted to set a good example, and we wanted to teach them a healthy lifestyle," said McFalls.
Some students agree with the ban on energy drinks, and said students can simply have them before or after school. Others, like Ana Berry, disagree because there is no ban on coffee. "People want to drink energy drinks, then let them. If people want to drink coffee, then let them," said Berry, who has been with the school system her whole life.
As for the spandex, Superintendent McFalls said it's to prepare students for the future. "We're trying to prepare our kids for the world after school, you know, this is the training ground, and they're going to go out to a world of work, or the military, or they're going to go to college, and they're going to have expectations that they're going to have to meet," said McFalls.
Still, some students have mixed feelings about the yoga pants rule, which states they can only be worn when a top stretches past the buttocks. "Girls are more subject to being told what they can and they cant wear... They don't target boys as much as girls are targeted, and I think it's a society thing for the most part," said Kaya Huffman, another junior at Custer County Schools.
However Berry agrees with the spandex rule, and said some students would wear leggings that are verging on transparent. "What you wear to school shouldn't affect your learning process, and if that has to do with us simply covering our butts with a shirt, then I think there should be no issue with that," said Berry.
News 5 reached out to a few other school districts about their dress codes. School District 20 said they cannot imagine making rules regarding yoga pants, as they see students wearing them so often. School District 11's dress code policies do not mention spandex by name, but do state clothes that are too tight are not acceptable.
