Catholic Schools Find Balance in Student Dress Codes

Ryan Kroenke, Principal of Pius XI High School in Milwaukee, saw a need this summer to change the school’s dress code while staying true to its values.

Students at Pius XI High School showcasing the new dresscode policy. (Submitted Photo)

The school adopted a slightly more stringent code, moving away from what Kroenke described as “how you’d expect to maybe see a teenager wear [clothes] at the mall on a Saturday.” The new policy seeks to balance the discipline and professionalism expected at a Catholic school with Pius XI’s emphasis on allowing students to express their individuality.

“I would occasionally hear comments like, ‘What’s the difference between the way a Pius student looks and a student at a public school down the street?’” he said.

“Investing in a Catholic education, you can still express yourself, you can still have a ‘be more you’ mentality in the school, but elevate how students show up in terms of their dress and appearance every day. So, we made a decision.”

The school’s move, to require students to wear either collared shirts or Pius XI spirit wear with slacks or non-ripped jeans, reflects a balancing act faced by Catholic high schools: creating an atmosphere of modesty and professionalism while allowing students to express themselves.

“I can wear jeans and a Lady Popes shirt, and I’m not restricted to the same shirt every day like it was at a Catholic middle school,” said Pius XI senior Benjamin Tiedge. “I definitely like that it provides some sort of guardrails.”

The Catholic Herald invited every Catholic high school in southeastern Wisconsin to share its dress code or uniform policy. Four responded: Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha and Divine Savior Holy Angels, Pius XI and St. Thomas More high schools in Milwaukee.

Their policies vary, ranging from uniforms to business-casual attire, but each establishes expectations for how students dress while allowing varying degrees of personal expression.

Catholic Memorial President Donna Bembenek said that students must wear business-casual clothing with no holes in pants and appropriate short and skirt lengths. Some occasions, including Masses and field trips, require a higher level of dress.

“Although we do not have a formal uniform, our dress code accomplishes many of the same goals,” she said. “Our expectations encourage students to recognize the dignity and worth of themselves and others while taking personal responsibility for how they present themselves.”

Catholic Memorial senior Will Kinateder said he appreciates having more flexibility than he experienced with his Catholic middle school uniform while maintaining expectations for how students dress.

“I felt excited coming to a school that does not have a strict uniform dress code, unlike my middle school where we wore uniforms almost every day,” he said. “I was excited to be creative and wear clothes that reflect my personality.”

DSHA Dean of Students Rachel Fredericks said the school maintains a more traditional uniform, requiring young women attending the school to wear specific polos, sweaters, skirts and types of pants, including the school’s traditional school plaid.

Senior Madison Cotton, who attended St. Sebastian Catholic School, Milwaukee, saw the uniform as a continuation of what she previously experienced.

“I was very familiar with the uniforms,” she said.

“It was just standard from my old middle school. We had our uniform, so it wasn’t that big of a transition.”

St. Thomas More has also altered its dress code, pivoting to a more professional look after adopting a more relaxed policy which the school implemented to attract young people to come back to school after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We allowed them to kind of wear what they were wearing while they were virtual for several months, sweats, T-shirts and whatnot. As we started to [incrementally] bring back our dress code, we were finding that this was a very difficult fight,” said STM President John Hoch.

The new code requires a skirt or khaki pants or shorts, along with a gray, blue or black polo with a school logo and a quarter-zip or fleece with the same colors or logo.

“It looks great the way our students are dressed right now,” he said.

“There’s more professionalism as we look at our kids. I think you take things more seriously when you’re dressed up a little bit more, and I think this is reflective of society as well.”

School leaders also pointed to another benefit of dress codes and uniforms: reducing some of the pressure on students to keep up with clothing brands and fashion trends.

“The fact that you don’t have to worry about ‘This kid has these really cool shoes’ or a particular brand, the Nike Swoosh or something, and the other kid can’t afford it,” Hoch shared. “We really don’t have that here, and I think that that’s been a real positive as well.”