Many students avoid using FHS bathrooms because of their lack of toiletries, smell of toxins and clogged toilets. Despite these facilities being cleaned daily by custodians, students deem them disgusting as the end of each school day nears. Most custodians are tasked with cleaning one or two buildings, but since the bathrooms require more time to clean — anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour — they can not dedicate as much time to cleaning other parts of the FHS campus.
The current condition of the bathrooms raises many concerns in students who use them. Students often misuse the bathrooms and make a mess for other students to deal with.
“Some people don’t even flush which is mildly infuriating,” FHS junior Sean Berroya said. “[And] you’ll find a lot of soap dispensers sometimes messed up.”
A few years ago, FUHSD made a promise to improve the availability of feminine hygiene products on campus. So far, the district has not upheld their promise, as only some bathrooms even carry toilet seat cover holders, pads and tampons.
“I do think [sanitary products are] something that should be available,” FHS senior Danica Spears said. “It’s a school, you have students who are going to need it and it’s easier to have it ready to support all the students.”
Many believe that the lack of sanitary products is an oversight on the school’s part. However, the custodians give insight to another side of the story.
“Certain buildings don’t have [sanitary products] because of issues where [students] pull them all out and put them in the toilet so then [the toilet] gets clogged,” FHS custodian Cee Garciar said.
Bathroom and supply misuse also affects the school’s budget for potential replacement of said products. In addition to financing the bathrooms, it also pays for classrooms and the cafeteria.
With increased restrictions for bathroom usage such as the number of students who are allowed to leave a classroom to use a bathroom, or the number of minutes they are allowed to stay out, the misuse of the facilities have decreased.
Given that school bathrooms are public, Garciar explains that responsibility for its cleanliness also falls on the student body. He encouraged students to make an effort to keep facilities clean for everyone’s benefit.
“I like to think of it as a home away from home,” Garciar said. “Be a little bit more responsible with things, you know, pick up their food in the restrooms, [and] no graffiti please.”
