Students present 'Soapbox' speeches at District 25 meeting on bathrooms, recess and pollution

Three students from District 25 presented prepared "Soapbox" speeches during the President's Council meeting, urging action on school bathroom conditions, daily recess and personal steps to reduce pollution.

Olivia Singh of PS 22 told the council, "I would like to talk to you about how unclean school bathrooms are affecting students' health and learning." She described personal experiences of unclean fixtures, graffiti and insects and cited a 2020 Gothamist article that reported ventilation concerns in city school bathrooms. "Some students choose to hold it in for the 6 hours because they want to avoid bathrooms. This can lead to distress and impacts their focus during class," she said. Olivia recommended following bathroom rules, encouraging peers to clean up, and installing automatic hand-sanitizer dispensers.

Logan Perskin of PS/IS 164 urged the district to ensure students receive daily play time. "Recess is one of the most important times of a school day," he told the council, arguing that a 20-to-25-minute break helps students manage energy, frustration and focus. He said "559 elementary students every day are denied recess in our district," and asked adults to help convince staff to preserve play time where possible.

Rachel Bennett of PS/IS 164 spoke about pollution and personal choices. "I need you to use your car less," she said, citing per-capita carbon dioxide figures and urging walking and biking when feasible.

District staff and parent leaders praised the presentations and said they would follow up. D'Antona told the students he would speak with facilities and building leaders about bathroom cleanliness and welcomed the student voices as a prompt for action and discussion at the school level.

All three students were introduced during the meeting's district presentation segment and their remarks were followed by brief comments from council members and district staff.