By Ukiah High student Savannah Kram
After Winter Break, Ukiah High students returned to campus to find a more restrictive bathroom policy in place. These changes have been met with skepticism from students, while staff members wait to see if they lead to improved behavior.
Bathrooms play a crucial role in students’ comfort and hygiene at school. Recognizing their importance, the California Education Code includes detailed guidelines for restrooms in K-12 schools.
The new policies Ukiah High instituted in January include:
Limiting the number of students in a restroom based on posted maximum occupancy. Using the restroom only for its intended purpose before exiting. Locking restrooms at the warning bell during break and lunch. Restricting bathroom passes during the first five minutes of each class period.To understand the reasoning behind these changes, UHS News spoke with Vice Principal Jonica Vice, who explained that the administration introduced the policies in response to issues with tardiness and attendance. “We were seeing issues with tardies and low attendance rates with students, so we decided to take an initiative on this issue,” Vice said.
Vice noted that many students were avoiding the restroom during lunch and break, instead waiting until class started. “We see large crowds rush into the bathrooms instead of attending class,” she explained.
The administration hopes these policies will help students manage their time better and reduce tardiness. Vice believes the changes will encourage better habits among students.
However, some students are unhappy with the new restrictions.
Eleventh-grader Abi Rodriguez voiced her frustration, telling UHS News, “I dislike this policy. There is no point in the policy; students will still miss class either way.”
Tenth-grader Ariana Moreno shared a different concern, explaining, “Students may have reasons for not using the bathroom during breaks, including how crowded the bathrooms are.” She also observed, “Many students use the bathroom for inappropriate reasons.”
Senior Titus Psara described his own experience with the new policy: “It was a struggle since I needed to use the restroom but couldn’t due to the new guidelines.”
Some staff members, however, believe the policy is already having a positive effect. UHS Supervisor Tiffany Montesonti said she has seen fewer tardies. “A lot of students create a Minga pass and return when the bathrooms reopen,” she noted.
Montesonti supports the administration’s decision, adding, “You have quite a long time during lunch to use the bathroom, so waiting until the very last minute is not a way to be, because you won’t be able to use it a lot of the times.”
Ukiah High history teacher Michael Dursteler has not yet noticed significant changes in his classes. “I think that it hasn’t been in place long enough to see,” he said. “But we’ll see by the end of the semester.”
While staff members monitor the long-term impact, Abi Rodriguez has already made up her mind. “There will not be changes with this policy, with more students skipping or cutting class and wasting their time in the bathroom,” she said.
Savannah Kram is a sophomore and a new journalist at Ukiah High School. She is involved in the drama department, currently taking Advanced Drama, now taking Journalism this year. She is a youth volunteer for downtown Ukiah. She joined the journalism class for new experiences, to write about local and current events, and to bring awareness to subjects that have yet to be shown under the spotlight. She was born in Ukiah. Raised in a different state, being back here made her more inspired to become more involved within the Ukiah community. She is ecstatic to begin her journey at Ukiah High News this school year and hopefully for years on end.
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