JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville mother says her daughter has missed out on class time at Westside High School because of a strict uniform policy that flags certain types of pants, an issue now prompting the school to hold a special meeting with parents.

The mother, who asked not to be identified, said her 12th-grade daughter was sent to the auditorium on the first day of school because the material of her pants didn’t meet the school’s dress code.

She said her daughter described being stopped at the door, told to lift her shirt so staff could see the pants and then directed to sit in the auditorium.

“I understood short skirts and sweatpants being against the rules, but I didn’t understand what was wrong with my pants,” the student said.

Her mother said she tried to comply with the policy but couldn’t afford the exact uniforms sold by the approved vendor.

“The uniforms, they’re expensive, and we don’t have that right now,” she said. “So I said we’re going to get as close as possible to what they’re requiring.”

Council Member Rahman Johnson hosted a previously scheduled town hall at Westside High on Tuesday. While he said school uniform rules are outside his jurisdiction, the topic came up during the meeting.

“Instead of getting frustrated, let’s figure out how we can work together because at the end of the day, the main thing is about getting these students educated and making sure they’re safe,” Johnson said.

School Advisory Council Chair Latoya Walker said a special meeting is set for Thursday at 6 p.m. to address uniform concerns.

“I want to be able to share with parents, here’s what went wrong, here’s what’s correct and here’s how we need to move forward,” Walker said.

The student, who has been homeschooled since the COVID-19 pandemic, said she had been looking forward to her first year back in the classroom.

“I’m still excited to come here and learn and get to do all the senior activities,” she said. “But the first two days genuinely made me want to turn back around.”

DCPS Regional Superintendent for High Schools Tim Simmons said students were not pulled from classrooms but were stopped as they arrived on campus and sent to the auditorium while parents were contacted. Simmons said the district encourages schools to give grace periods and offers resources to help families cover uniform costs.