Students at Kathleen Macdonald High School have noticed that many restrooms across campus are locked throughout the school day, leaving them unsure of where to go and why certain bathrooms stay closed. The closures seemingly began earlier this semester as part of an effort to reduce vandalism, improve safety, and limit restroom misuse. 

Macdonald’s Lead Campus Supervisor, Junior Reyes, said, “We started seeing more kids hanging out or play-fighting in the bathrooms instead of going to class”. 

He concluded that locking certain restrooms helped him and his co-workers monitor the situation more effectively. 

As part of their efforts to manage the issue, the school now follows a “rotating” bathroom schedule. Outdoor bathrooms are available before school and during lunch, while indoor restrooms open once classes begin. According to Junior, this system makes monitoring student activity much simpler and prevents further damage.

Junior said that the recent Yondr phone pouch policy may contribute to the problem, as many students use restrooms to check their phones privately. 

For now, administrators plan to continue reviewing the system and hope that improved student behavior will allow more restrooms to open in the future. 

Still, many students find limited access inconvenient. Some, like Melika Milani, a senior at MacDonald, said they lose instructional time searching for an unlocked restroom or feel uncomfortable when rushed out of restrooms during lunch. 

Similarly, Melika questions whether this method of combating the issue unfairly impacts students who simply need to use the restroom during class.