LEWISTON — Lewiston schools are closer to getting an updated, gender-neutral dress code after the School Committee unanimously approved the first reading Monday night.

If approved in the second vote next month, the updated dress code would be less confusing, Superintendent Bill Webster said.

The policy was proposed by Lewiston High School junior Amanda Alberda, 16.

“What prompted this was the fact that students were getting ‘stood up’ at lunch,” Alberda said Monday night.

She explained that last year an administrator was asking girls to stand up to see if their skirts or shorts were too short.

“Entire groups of girls were paraded down to the office last May,” Alberda said. “It was taking huge amounts of class time. It happened to me. I was chased down the hall by a person who wanted to measure my skirt.”

That was a waste of time, she said. “I had work to do.”

The old dress code said that skirts or shorts should not be shorter than fingertip-length when arms were hanging at one’s sides.

“There were certain rules for girls, certain rules for boys,” she said. The boys’ dress code had more to do with freedom of speech, she said — boys basically only had to worry about messages on their clothing.

The old dress code had unfair qualifiers, words such as “lewd,” “indecent” and “revealing,” things “you can’t measure,” Alberda said.

She and other students wanted a gender-neutral dress code.

Last year, Alberda interviewed girls who had been “stood up” over how much of their legs were showing. She and student Chandler Clothier met during the summer and researched the old policy and dress codes.

Nationally, schools are adopting more gender-neutral dress codes, Webster said.

The students brought a proposed new dress code to administrators, principals and student representatives. Meanwhile, the YWCA board of directors, which also wanted a gender-neutral dress code in schools, supported the change.

The new policy is blunt and clear. Student dress must include a top, bottom and footwear. Genitalia, breasts and buttocks are to be covered at all times.

Underwear, with the exception of bra straps, are not to be exposed. Chests and midriffs are to be predominantly covered and navels must not show.

The proposed dress code, like the current one, does not allow students to wear clothing that promotes or references illegal behavior, including the use of tobacco, alcohol, drugs or weapons.

Lewiston School Department Chief Administrative Officer Elaine Runyon said the dress code change brought to School Committee members is mostly language proposed and researched by students.

School officials thanked Alberda, who attended Monday night’s meeting, for investing her time and bringing the initiative forward.

The new dress code “may well be a model for other schools,” Webster said.

Fournier named assistant principal at Montello

LEWISTON — Lewiston High School Dean of Students Ronda Fournier is now an assistant principal at Montello Elementary School.

Her nomination was approved Monday night by the School Committee. The change will give Montello a second assistant principal to handle a growing number of students, officials said.

Montello’s student population is nearly 800 and has a high number of students from poor families and English Language Learner students.

The school had one principal and one assistant principal.

Fournier has helped at Montello for several weeks and has made a positive impact, Montello Principal Jim Cliffe said in a letter to the committee. He asked that her nomination be approved.

After it was unanimously approved, Fournier thanked them for the opportunity and said she’s looking forward to the new job.

In another position change, retired Principal Linda St. Andre will fill in as interim principal at Farwell Elementary School in February, Webster told committee members.

St. Andre will take over for Farwell Principal Althea Walker, who is retiring in February.

The district is fortunate to have St. Andre fill in, considering her experience as a principal at Longley and Farwell schools, Webster said.