Administration closes boys’ restrooms after vandalism

All but one of the four boys restrooms in the academic pods will be closed during class time this upcoming week. Additional restrooms will be open during passing time to alleviate any traffic jams that only one open restroom may incur. Principal Tracy Wilson wrote in an email to parents and students that this is because there are some boys who cannot behave properly while using the restrooms.

“The intentional destruction of the toilets and soap dispensers has forced us to close two of the bathrooms for repair and maintenance,” Wilson wrote in an email blast. “Male students will have to ‘check in’ to use the bathroom by providing their name/student ID.”

To ‘check in’, students need a pass from their teacher to leave class, per usual, then they need to present their ID number that the parapro verifies on their iPad at the restroom entrance and then students are admitted to the restroom.

“It’s a bit ridiculous that we have to have this conversation at this level,” Wilson said on the morning announcements. “It’s not something that us adults are excited about doing, but a small minority have created this issue for all.”

Facilities Manager Kyle Hitsman said there have been quite a few incidences almost on a daily basis where boys will ‘vandalize’ the restrooms. The high school has been plagued with intentional acts of vandalism throughout the school year on behalf of the male population.

“Some of the (incidences) are vandalism, some of them are bodily fluids and fecal matter, and some others are just general destruction,” Hitsman said. “We have kids that just pee on the floor or poop on the floor and kinda just leave it.”

Hitsman also said there have been soap dispensers ripped from the walls, toilets that have been kicked by students and are now broken, there have been stall doors ripped clean off the walls and countless other incidences.

The school staff is now taking action to combat these students causing destruction of property in the restrooms. Hitsman noted that the school is limiting access to restrooms so they can try to find the students causing the damage. This new ‘check in’ system is the next step in catching those causing the destruction.

“It’s kinda hard (to catch kids) because there aren’t many in the student body who are turning each other in,” Hitsman said. “I’m hoping by the end of the year we can have a lot of these issues taken care of, but it’s can we catch the people that are doing it, and can we have the student body themselves help us with the issues we’re having.”