Tenth-grader Chelsey Knutson's black pants cover most of her shoes and touch the floor as she stands in the Austin High School commons.

Nikki Viehauser, also a 10th-grader, wears a pale-blue long-sleeved sweater that hangs below her belt -- until she raises her hand as she gestures to a friend.

If the Austin School Board approves a new dress code policy Monday as a part of the next year's AHS student handbook, both the girls' clothing choices would violate it.

The stricter policy is being proposed to encourage students to dress in a more respective manner, said Principal Joe Brown. Brown estimates that about 10 percent of the student body is wearing clothing the school thinks is inappropriate. Some students have been wearing low cut shirts, spaghetti-strapped tank tops or low-rise jeans that show underwear.

A faculty member was visiting Willmar High School and noticed the students there didn't wear those types of clothing, Brown said. AHS looked over that school's policy when deciding on its own proposal.

The previous policy bans clothing that is "lewd, vulgar or distracting," with advertisements for products such as beer and alcohol or that is gang-related. Ornamental jewelry that may be hazardous to safety is prohibited. Coats and hats cannot be worn during the school day.

The new policy would be more specific. In addition to the old policy, shorts and skirts could be no shorter than fingertip length when arms are at the student's side. Pants could not touch the floor and would have to be worn at the waistline.

Sleeveless shirts with close-fitting armholes would be the only types of tank tops that could be worn. Shirttails would need to hang below the belt line even when arms are raised or the student is seated.

Knutson and Viehauser aren't sure what to think of a stricter dress code.

"I don't think it's a big deal how we dress," Viehauser said.

Knutson said most of the pants she owns touch the ground.

Viehauser and Knutson agreed that it might be hard to find fashionable clothing to meet a new dress code. Knutson said it's hard enough to worry about how she looks before she goes to school, but following a stricter dress code would make it more difficult.

Senior Katie Jochumson said she won't have to worry about a new policy because she's graduating, but said she thought some students dressed inappropriately at times.

Brown said the new standards would not differ greatly from the current rules and said he wants an environment in which all students feel comfortable.

"We're basically asking students to dress a little more professionally than they have in the past," Brown said.

About two years ago, Albert Lea High School revised its dress code to ban "short shorts, skimpy tank tops, tops that expose the midriff and other clothing not keeping with community standards." No hats and coats can be worn during the school day and gang-related and lewd clothing is banned.

"I think that students sometimes see it as less capability for self-expression," ALHS Principal Al Root said. "We see it as trying to set an educational environment."

Owatonna High School's dress code language is less specific. Hats and coats cannot be worn during the day and gang-related apparel is also banned, according to its handbook. It also bans lewd clothing and sends students home who are "dressed inappropriately or in a provocative manner."

Students wearing clothing that violates the dress code would be asked to fix it or be sent home to change. Their absence from school would be unexcused, Brown said.

Brown also said there would be T-shirts available for students to wear over inappropriate clothing.

"I think it's a reasonable request for seven hours a day for kids to dress a little more professional," Brown said.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at cari.quam@austindailyherald.com