Problems with SHS Bathroom Facilities Need to be Addressed

Scituate High School—a place where students come to learn, create, and feel a sense of community. In almost every aspect of the high school experience, students’ needs are being met. However, when it comes to the functionality and cleanliness of the SHS bathrooms, students are desperate for an upgrade.

Over the past year, students have voiced their concerns about the SHS student bathroom facilities. Students used words such as “disgusting, unwelcoming, and honestly an embarrassment to the administration” when asked to describe the bathrooms.

Despite being cleaned daily by the school’s hardworking janitorial staff—whom we are extremely thankful for—the bathrooms are not in satisfactory condition. 

When students were asked to share their perspective on bathroom cleanliness, the results were disheartening: the boys’ bathrooms were rated with an average of 3/10. 

Students were asked, “Which bathroom do you deem unusable?” The top answers were the English and history wing bathrooms. Some SHS boys said they go out of their way, no matter what class they are in, to use the art wing bathroom—the cleanest in the school. The art wing bathroom was renovated during the construction of the new middle school. The difference between the art wing bathroom and the other bathrooms is notable.

When asked about the biggest problem with the bathrooms, students struggled to pick one. We heard a multitude of answers–including but not limited to flooding, foul smells, and a lack of privacy. The boys’ bathroom located near the “stoop” on the second floor is especially problematic due to the location of the urinals–in full view of the door to the hallway.

It’s a common occurrence to hear shoes squeaking in the hallway, which is almost always caused by the wet bathroom floors. Every bathroom (except the art wing bathroom) suffers from a flooding problem. The lack of drains in the bathroom also causes the “mystery liquid” to linger. It is time for the boys’ bathrooms to undergo some much-needed renovations. Students should feel like the bathrooms are safe and sanitary. The flooding toilets smell, and damaged stalls need to be fixed.

The girls’ bathrooms are much the same: They are run-down and prone to flooding. Unlike the boys, girls don’t have the luxury of using a new bathroom like the boys have in the art wing.

Every female student remarked that the worst bathroom in the building is located in the history wing. In addition to a constant noxious odor, this bathroom has plumbing issues, doors that don’t close, and stalls that don’t lock. This makes students feel uncomfortable.

But these issues extend beyond the history wing–the language wing, stoop, cafeteria, and small gym bathrooms have the exact same problems. How can students be expected to feel comfortable under these circumstances?

The bathrooms at SHS are too far gone for the janitorial staff to keep up. Plumbing issues in these bathrooms are not only unsanitary but potentially dangerous.

Administrators need to do something about these disgraceful facilities. What if other parts of the school were in the same condition? Can you imagine classrooms with leaks, puddles, flooding, broken doors, and stomach-turning stenches? Students wouldn’t be able to attend classes until these problems were fixed. So, why are the standards different for bathrooms?

If SPS administrators truly want students to buy into the motto “You are Important,” why aren’t they addressing these issues? Shouldn’t the SHS bathroom facilities reflect this message? Since taxpayers were willing to pay for top-of-the-line athletic facilities, wouldn’t they also support the renovation of school bathrooms that are hanging on by a thread?