A campus need that seems to be common among public schools in Southern California is the negligence of school restrooms. The negligence ranges from a lack of supplies to the layout of the restrooms themselves.
At South Pasadena High School (SPHS), the problems that students face are a deficiency of restroom supplies and frequently unavailable restrooms. In the case of one student, the student had to try three different restrooms located throughout campus during Brunch before finding one that was available. The first and main one she tried was devoid of both toilet paper and seat covers (in every stall), while the second restroom was locked. The third restroom, though with toilet paper, lacked soap and “running” water.
“This really bothers me,” says Marlene Figueroa. “It’s like I have to go searching for stuff that should already be there.”
Students at University High School expressed similar frustration. Rather than the absence of toilet paper and soap in dispensers, there seemed to be many detached dispensers and faucet knobs. Students also stated that many of the restroom stalls were too narrow and lacked locks on its doors.
“We have two bathrooms that need major fixing,” says Erica Liu. “Faucets knobs are broken off, paper dispensers are broken or empty, [and] small stalls don’t allow a person with a backpack to go inside without getting stuck.”
Numerous students have and are being impacted by the negligence of school restrooms. While some of these campus needs have been continuous for years now, the slash in school funds may be preventing such problems from being addressed. But if the problem is due to the neglect on the part of the administration, more attention must be directed towards addressing campus needs. More than just a discomfort and inconvenience, neglecting to repair equipment and restocking supplies for the restrooms can affect students’ academic studies. Students should not have to deal with empty dispensers or detached locks in their everyday visits to the restroom.
