Cheerleader Uniforms: Are They Too Skimpy for School?

This story was reported and written by Associate Regional Editor Sherri Lonon.

The days of cheerleaders dressing for Friday night games before the first school bell rings are over on some Pinellas County campuses. While school officials say they understand the uniforms are “spirit wear,” and cheerleading squads don them to rally support for their teams, they’re no longer welcome during daytime hours.

As it turns out, the uniforms violate new, tougher dress code policies. By allowing girls on the squad to wear them to class, Countryside High’s principal told the Tampa Bay Times he’d be creating a double standard.

Dress codes throughout Tampa Bay set a standard for class-appropriate wear. No short shorts, no low-cut blouses, covered upper arms and so on are the typical requests. 

Some districts, however, have gone so far as to define in inches how short is too short, making it tough for parents to buy back-to-school wear without bringing a tape measure along to stores. 

As it turns out, those cheerleader skirts don’t measure up.

Do you think cheerleaders should be allowed to dress out on game days? How about those dress codes? Are they too strict? Share your thoughts by commenting below.