We are calling for the unnecessary parts of the Hillsborough dress code to be removed so young people can express themselves without being restricted by rules that do more harm than good.

Right now, the dress code is making students feel unable to show who they are. For many of us, clothing is part of identity, confidence, and comfort. When those choices are tightly controlled, it can make school feel less welcoming and more focused on appearance than on learning.

This is especially affecting girls, who often face the strictest limits and the most attention over what we wear. That kind of pressure sends a painful message: that our bodies and choices are a problem to be managed instead of part of a normal school community. It places unfair expectations on us and adds stress that should not be part of getting an education.

Since this dress code was added, it feels as if we as students are being less understood. Though we may still be young, we have a voice, and we would like to use it to call out what has been happening. This school year, many of us have found ourselves focusing more on whether what we're wearing will get us in trouble than on our actual education. We don't understand how what we wear affects our learning. If the people around us are getting distracted by how we express ourselves through our clothing, then we believe that's their responsibility to address, not ours to manage through restriction.

We believe a dress code should support a respectful learning environment, not silence self-expression or single out one group more than others. The current rules need to be reviewed so they are fair, reasonable, and focused only on what is truly necessary.

We ask that the unnecessary parts of the Hillsborough dress code be removed. Young people deserve a school environment where we can learn, feel comfortable, and express ourselves without being unfairly restricted.