A school district in Arizona is considering a new open-concept bathroom that would allow staff to see into the facilities from a hallway, which the school’s administration says was made to address student behavior.
An administrator said during a presentation to the Peoria Unified School District’s Board of Education Thursday night that the new design will allow for better monitoring of the facilities while maintaining privacy for students who are using them.
Kevin Molino, chief technological and operations officer, told the board that the new design for bathrooms in two high schools was made after talking with students, parents, and school resource officers and addresses compliance with federal disability laws and safety concerns.
Molino said during Thursday’s board meeting that the current bathrooms at Cactus High School and Ironwood High School are dated and do not allow staff to monitor what’s happening inside.
The new design removes the wall that prevents staff from seeing what’s happening inside the bathroom, allowing students to congregate.
“I’ve spoken with parents and students who tell me that students are uncomfortable using restrooms because other students use it as a hangout spot, which is not visible by staff,” Molino told the board. “When they report it to staff, and the staff are made aware of it, they address it.”
Molino said the two guiding principles of the remodel were increased ADA accessibility and visibility into the bathrooms. The project is in a stage where administrators are asking for input.
“As we gather feedback, we’ll find a balance between privacy and safety,” Molino said.
Molino also said each bathroom stall will have a vape monitor, and a camera outside the bathroom door will monitor the entryway. The doors to the stalls will have a six- to 10-inch gap under them to the floor.
Community members were quick to point out the importance of privacy in bathrooms. An individual named Corky Haynes told the board that most public bathrooms give users a sense of privacy and that she couldn’t tell if the proposed bathrooms would offer the same level of comfort.
