DAYTON — High school students trying to use the restroom are running into locked gates, keeping them out.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 5, a picture shows a tall gate blocking off the entryway into a women’s bathroom at Belmont High School.
Dayton Public Schools Superintendent David Lawrence said the policy is not aimed just at Belmont, it will be put in place at all of the district’s high schools.
But Belmont students were the first to see the locked gates.
The policy applies only to class time, the gates only apply to class time, the gates will be unlocked for the five-minute period between classes.
“I just hope that it doesn’t come to the point where there’s a kid that can’t make right?” Debra Bokel said.
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Bokel’s grandaughter graduated from Belmont a year ago.
They both said this is a tough situation but understand the district is trying to stop students from skipping out on classes plus stop vandalism and vaping.
“When you walk in you could smell it, it was like a big smoke bomb in your face, you could smell it,” Bree Heil said.
Heil said she would see students leave with a restroom pass and never come back to class.
Lawrence said the school has to do what’s best for them.
“You kind of do what works best for you in that school, I mentioned Bellmont has 1,300 kids. That’s a lot, so this may work well for them,” he said.
Lawrence said students with urgent restroom needs can still get a pass from their teacher, but they would need to find an administrator or security officer to unlock the gates for them.
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