We have received some interest and questions regarding some restrooms designs in our two new high schools.  We wanted to share those plans and why we have chosen to include this, along with traditional bathroom designs, in these new schools.

In the last few years, we have seen an upsetting trend where many  students do not feel safe or comfortable using traditional enclosed restroom facilities while at school for fear of cyber-bulling and harassment. Despite banning cell phones, we are still seeing many instances of students being filmed while they are using the restroom and that content is posted on social media. We continually hear from students who are leaving the campus to go home to use the restroom in lieu of using the spaces we currently provide.

Additionally, we’ve seen an increase in vandalism in bathrooms due to “challenges” posted on social media. One school recently spent almost $50,000 in repairing damages caused in the restroom due to these challenges. This includes breaking mirrors, stealing soap dispensers, clogging toilets with toilet paper, and we have even had attempts to remove urinals from the wall.

Schools do not have the manpower to monitor every restroom at all times. With this design, school staff are able to better monitor the handwashing areas and reduce any disruptive, destructive and unsafe behaviors that some students experience while using the restroom. 

The design has two large entrances which lead to individual, gender designated, small rooms with toilets. Each room will have one toilet and floor-to-ceiling doors and walls, providing more safety and privacy than traditional restroom stalls. 

The handwashing area is the only shared or common space in this restroom style and is entirely open to the hallway space which allows for more safety and supervision intended to curb issues, like vaping and harassment, that unfortunately occur most often in traditional enclosed restrooms. Shared handwashing stations have been in use in our elementary schools for the last 20+ years for similar supervisory reasons.

To reiterate, traditional enclosed male and female designated restrooms are still available on the same floors as these restrooms.

Photo 3: Common, long-standing elementary bathroom design with shared sink space in the hallway. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Are there specific toilet rooms for boys and girls?
Yes, each room has a specific gender designation but has floor to ceiling walls, and doors to ensure more privacy than a traditional restroom stall. 

What if my child would prefer to use a traditional restroom? 

Traditional restrooms are still available on every floor of these new buildings. These restrooms are an alternative option for students who do not feel comfortable using traditional restrooms because of safety and privacy reasons. 

What if a student of the opposite gender uses the wrong restroom stall/room? 

The school and district would follow and adhere to state law. Appropriate discussions and action would be taken.

Is this new bathroom design common?

Yes, many new school buildings around the state and country are using this type of design to improve safety for students. 

Doesn’t this new design violate HB 257 (aka the ‘Bathroom Bill’)?

No. Each small room with a toilet is considered a bathroom of its own and has a clear gender designation. It is important to have specific gender designation to each space for the safety and privacy of those respective students.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at [email protected] and we would be happy to respond.