Every school has its daily routines. But this year, one routine has turned into a gamble. Students heading to the restroom aren’t wondering where to go – they’re wondering whether the door will even open. What used to be the simplest part of the day has become unpredictable. 

During the school day, bathroom access is limited. Often, students must turn to an administrator to unlock a restroom. If no administrator is available, students must wait, sometimes up to 15 minutes. A quick break can easily turn into a long, stressful delay. 

Senior Beatrice Macdonald stated, “I am very frustrated by this new system. It makes me very uncomfortable to ask someone to use the bathroom.” Strict capacity limits only add to the inconvenience, increasing wait time and making the process generally uncomfortable. 

The administration, particularly Dr. Davenport, has stated that this situation is unacceptable and has voiced intentions to improve bathroom accessibility. In an open discussion with Dr. Davenport, students, including Amaia Hayes and Sawyer Giles, participated in conversation about issues that the student body faces. Dr. Davenport took notes during this conversation and later followed up with an email to participants of the conversation. There, he addressed his wishes to communicate with the student body and said he would make arrangements to help with the bathroom issue. He stated that bathrooms will now be opened for “ten minutes at beginning and end of community lunch.” Additionally, Dr. Davenport wants to “arrange supervision schedules so that bathrooms are accessible between classes,” but both of these issues still persist. 

This current system wastes class time, disrupts lunch, and creates inconveniences for both aides and administrators. It is unreasonable that high school students have to wait to use the bathroom or rely on someone to unlock a door. 

Students are encouraged to use the restroom during lunch, but bathrooms are often locked during that time as well. Paired with long lunch lines, club meetings, and wanting to spend time with friends, students often can’t fit in a bathroom break. 

Reliable bathroom access is a fundamental part of a functional school environment. Until consistent access is guaranteed, students will continue losing valuable time and comfort to a problem that should have an easy solution.