By Staff Reporter |
Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) parents expressed their displeasure over plans to reduce the privacy in several high schools’ bathrooms during this week’s regular board meeting.
The district is planning to remodel one set of male and female restrooms at Cactus High School and Ironwood High School, with the main goals of providing clearer visibility into the restrooms and increasing ADA compliance.
In presenting the proposed plans, Acting Superintendent Kevin Molino explained that students felt uncomfortable with other students using the bathrooms as private hangout spots.
“As we gather feedback, we’ll find a balance between privacy and safety,” said Moleno.
In order to remedy this, the entrances to the new bathrooms would provide a direct line of sight into the main gathering space between the sinks on one wall and the private bathroom stalls on the other.
Corky Haynes, a community member, expressed concern that the students’ privacy wouldn’t be respected — especially the girls.
Teddy Todd, another community member, asked that there be more privacy given to the girls’ restrooms: a narrower entryway view, and a wider and taller divider for the sinks (for washing out garments). Todd also suggested adding doors to the urinals, and transforming the service closet into a private, lockable single-stall bathroom with a sink and the water tank closeted off.
Trina Berg, an Ironwood High School and Peoria Education Association (PEA) President, said that the increased visibility would make teachers’ jobs easier in managing students congregating in bathrooms. Currently, Berg says teachers either have to yell or go into the bathrooms to remove students.
“As a teacher, the restrooms are a big source of behavior issues, because our kids are congregating in there,” said Berg. “Yes, privacy is a thing, but the doors are there, they’re shut.”
Mikah Dyer, an Ironwood High School senior and PUSD board candidate, said that the proposed renovations would improve safety and usability.
“The number one problem I hear about bathrooms in Ironwood is the vaping that’s happening and the overcrowding that’s happening during passing periods during lunches,” said Dyer. “Teachers need accessibility and visibility.”
The proposed bathroom renovations include vape sensors in each stall.
Jeff Toby, a parent of three female PUSD students, said his daughters were uncomfortable with the proposal.
Tiffany Benson, a community member, expressed concern that the bathroom remodels were another step to ending gendered bathrooms. Benson also said that the schools needed to be more proactive in addressing the students who were repeat offenders for bad behaviors in the bathrooms.
Wendy Rose, mother of two current PUSD students, said that the female students she asked were uncomfortable with the lack of privacy in the bathrooms.
Christina, mother of two PUSD students, wondered at the lack of urinals and, like others, the lack of privacy presented by noise issues.
Board member Bill Sorensen said there needed to be a way of gathering more student feedback on the proposal before the district moves forward.
Board member Heather Rooks objected to the policy as another alleged step toward getting rid of gendered spaces.
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