SVHS bathroom woes come to a head

Sonoma Valley High School junior Wyatt Lage says he has been so frustrated by the condition of the bathrooms at Sonoma Valley High School that he created a petition at change.org last week.|

Sonoma Valley High School junior Wyatt Lage says he has been so frustrated by the condition of the bathrooms at Sonoma Valley High School that he created a petition at change.org last week – and submitted a public complaint to Rep. Mike Thompson and Sen. Diane Feinstein.

“For years I had been hearing people talk about how bad the conditions of the bathrooms were, but nobody ever did anything about it,” said Lage. “So, I decided to do something about it.”

Lage’s petition resulted in a quick response and what he described as positive communication from school administration.

In the text of his petition, which had garnered almost 150 signatures by press time, Lage said:

“I was told in my AP United States History class that the only way to solve an issue is to bring it to the attention of the public. So, here it is...

“The bathrooms at Sonoma Valley High School are in dire need of updates and repairs. Up until 2 weeks ago, only 2 of 3 restrooms, per gender, were available to students on campus.

“In one of the boys bathrooms alone, there are 10 tiles missing or extremely damaged, from the floor or wall, one of the stall doors doesn’t close, and there is continuously appearing graffiti, and damage done to walls and mirrors.

“In the girls bathrooms, from what I have heard, the feminine product receptacles are rarely emptied, water pressure to sinks is minimal, and hot water doesn’t seem to work. Some stalls don’t even have locks. Toilet seat covers are not provided, and old, unsanitary hand driers are used in place of paper towels. Paper towels are more expensive, but the current hand driers are old, cold, and filters, if any, are likely expired, posing a health risk.

“Myself, and other students ask that the school invest in...

* Higher quality toilet paper

* Updated, and more sanitary hand driers

* Auto flush systems

* More frequent cleaning and maintenance to bathrooms

* Hot water

* Sustained availability of facilities

“(Disclaimer: All of the above information is ENTIRELY my opinion and has been influenced by fellow students (not staff). All facts and dates are accurate to my knowledge.)”

Within days of learning of the petition, high school principal Kathleen Hawing had reached out to Lage by email to address his concerns.

In a press release issued Thursday, Feb. 4, Hawing said, “It’s great to see this student use what he has learned in class to engage in constructive dialogue about this issue,” said Hawing. “The condition of the school’s bathrooms have been high on the priority list for improvement for some time, and work is ongoing. For example, one bathroom had tile replacement in the last few weeks.”

She noted that regarding maintenance concerns, the bathrooms are currently cleaned three to four times a day.

She said that administrators are evaluating the need for more frequent inspection, and also looking into easy ways for students to advise staff that a bathroom needs attention.

“Ultimately, student involvement in facilities issues will foster a sense of pride and ownership,” she said. “In the case of the school’s bathrooms, this could address a concern of the administration regarding misuse, pranks and even vandalism.

Vice Principal Andrew Ryan added, “Students will often conform more closely to the expectations set by their peers, rather than hearing only messages from the administration or staff. The solutions that we all can agree on will be the ones that are the most likely to be sustainable.”

According to facilities manager Tony Albini, he has seen an increase in awareness of the need for students to take care of their school as a result of a summer program in which high school students work with maintenance staff at the high school.

“Once students spend several days scraping gum off of sidewalks and furniture, it changes their perspective on the need to keep their school campus clean!”

When reached at press time, Lage said he is pleased with the response by the administration and that he looks forward “to working with them, as well as the custodial and maintenance staff, to come up with short and long term solutions.”

Hawing also pointed out that the high school bathrooms are on the recently completed SVHS Facilities Master Plan and additional improvements are set to continue in the future.

Lage’s petition is online at change.org/p/students-of-svhs-citizens-of-sonoma-improve-bathrooms-at-sonoma-valley-high-school.

Email Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.

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