A semester after Metea Valley High School implemented its new bathroom policies, mixed reactions remain from students and administration. These policies were designed to address safety concerns due to certain issues in the bathrooms.
At Metea, bathroom monitors are stationed outside every bathroom to check student passes and behavior. This is to ensure that the policies are respected and followed properly. Principal Daniel DeBruycker explains the goals behind tightening and restricting bathroom usage.
“I wanted to address the 5 essential data from the student feedback on their concerns with the bathrooms,” DeBruycker said. “We wanted to make sure that we didn’t leave an unmonitored restroom.”
Dean’s assistant Keith McIntosh explains what monitors look out for when supervising students.
“We monitor the locker bay area to make sure students aren’t hanging out,” McIntosh said. “We monitor the bathrooms and try to limit the number of students and also make sure that nothing wrong is taking place in the bathrooms.”
At the beginning of the semester, students expressed frustration with the new policies like the limit of how many people can be in there at once. It is uncertain as to how long this will continue or if it’ll loosen up but McIntosh shared what he has noticed since these changes were made
“Students have adjusted to the way we’re supervising the bathrooms now,” McIntosh said. “There’s less damage and less stuff taking place in the bathrooms now too.”
However, DeBruycker has received an increase in positive feedback from students due to the adult presence to reduce unhealthy behaviors. DeBruycker also mentioned that deans’ assistants have had positive outcomes with the new policies.
“They appreciate the proactive nature of our policies. We have had to work reactively with concerns in the past,” DeBruycker said.
Although these restrictions directly impact students, they also affect how dean’s assistant spend their day. Challenges arise when it comes to how effectively they can enforce good behavior. McIntosh shared that Ideally, they would want one male and one female in every bathroom. This would help identify behaviors immediately instead of waiting for another dean’s assistant.
As the year goes on administrators will continue to work with students and faculty members to come up with a plan that is best for everyone.
“We will always evaluate our practices to do what is best for Metea Valley. We are looking into an electronic hall pass, bathroom usage system for next year,” DeBruycker said.
