DANVILLE — The Danville school board on Wednesday approved guidelines for a uniform dress code proposal for students with only one major change.

Instead of requiring 75 percent of parental support to implement the policy, a school would need only 60 percent.

The higher percentage was recommended by principals, who found in their research that the higher the parental support for a uniform dress code, the fewer the problems. But most board members said they thought that was too high.

"I think that if six out of the 10 vote for it, then go ahead," member Randal Ashton said, adding that 75 percent gives too much power to the minority. Sixty percent "doesn't unfairly disenfranchise the majority or the minority."

However, that number as well as other parts of the proposal — which outlines what students could wear, implementation, exemptions and consequences — could change again, depending on what parents and guardians have to say. They will have a chance to ask questions and provide input at two upcoming forums.

The forums are scheduled for 6 to 7 p.m. July 27 at Danville High School's Van Dyke Auditorium, 202 E. Fairchild St. and at 6 to 7 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Danville Public Library's community room, 319 N. Vermilion St.

All parents and guardians would have a chance to vote on whether they favor the stricter dress code in a survey that will be given to them at registration, Aug. 9-12. Schools would adopt the policy, if they had at least 60 percent parental support.

Officials will announce the results before school starts.

Under the proposal, students would be required to wear collared shirts, sweaters, vests and sweatshirts in either solid black, maroon, navy white or their school color and sweatshirts with their school logo; and pants, capri pants, shorts, skirts, skorts, dresses and jumpers in either solid black, navy or tan/khaki. Shorts must be a "reasonable" length, and the hemline of skirts, dresses and jumpers can't be higher than the top of the wearer's knee.

In addition, students could not wear house slippers as shoes.

Kevin Powell, a Danville City Council Ward 1 alderman, said he worries that the policy would put a financial hardship on some families, and he wouldn't want to see a student expelled or suspended because their family couldn't afford them.

"Our job and our responsibility is to have our kids in school to learn," Davis said.

Under the policy, the district would provide assistance to families — in the form of clothes — if buying the appropriate clothes would be an economic hardship. The board's attorney suggested establishing wardrobes from which students could borrow clothes.

Some board members said they would like to see this and other assistance ideas spelled out before parents vote on the proposal.

At the schools where the policy is adopted, students would have a full semester to comply to give parents a chance to build up the required wardrobe. Students could follow the dress code voluntarily from Aug. 22 to Dec. 21; they would have to comply fully starting on Jan. 4.

If a new student moves to a school with the dress code later in the year, students would be given 30 days to comply.