A student researcher told the Dexter Community School District Board of Education that a high-school survey he conducted found widespread problems with drinking fountains and strong student demand for bottle-refill stations.

Paul Sapolis, a high school senior, told the board he designed and administered the survey after noticing dirty or nonfunctional fountains. "The majority rated the fountains as a 2 out of 5 or lower," Sapolis said, and he said about 30% of students reported routinely using the fountains. He said many students reported encountering broken units and that repairs were not completed in a timely way.

The findings, Sapolis said, led students to recommend cleaner fountains, more frequent maintenance and installation of bottle-refill stations. He also told the board he plans a follow-up survey this fall after students use new fixtures installed this summer.

Superintendent (unnamed) told the board that the district received a grant to replace small water fountains over the past summer and welcomed Sapolis’s follow-up report to measure student satisfaction. "We were glad to get the grant," the superintendent said. "It'll be nice to see that this is actually money good at work."

Board members thanked Sapolis for the work and asked that he return with results after the new fountains have been used for some time.

The board did not take formal action on the survey at the meeting, but members said they expect the district to monitor the impact of the grant-funded replacements.