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Teachers and parents say Scott Avenue TK lacks safe, nearby restroom; district points to facilities plan and Measure C
Summary
Multiple Scott Avenue speakers told the board a transitional-kindergarten classroom lacks a nearby, age-appropriate restroom and that the classroom has been operating with aides out of the room; district staff said site assessments informed temporary restroom placements and that a facilities master plan will prioritize longer-term fixes.
Teachers, parents and volunteers at the East Whittier City School District board meeting urged the board to address restroom access and supervision for the transitional-kindergarten (TK) classroom at Scott Avenue Elementary, saying current arrangements compromise safety, supervision ratios and equity.
Transitional-kindergarten teacher Jessica Will told the board her classroom does not have an internal or nearby restroom and said the closest restroom requires students to travel ‘‘two doors down and around the corner’’ with an entrance from another classroom and a door that opens directly onto the playground. Will told the board she tracked times when an aide escorted students and said that can total up to 60 minutes a day in which the teacher is alone with the rest of the class, creating compliance and supervision concerns.
Parents and volunteers backed Will’s account. Parent Amy Lazari said some children avoid the TK restroom that opens onto the playground and that Scott Avenue did not receive the portable, age-appropriate restrooms other district schools received. Volunteer Sharon Albert described frequent interruptions when multiple young children must use the restroom and called the situation disruptive to instruction.
Noon supervisor Christy Whalen and teacher Andrea Carlson said a lack of extra adult help and repeated bathroom trips cut into instructional time and social-emotional supports. Carlson urged clearer contract language and stronger protections for staff who have voluntarily transferred between sites.
District staff responding to the public comments said site assessments were completed early in the school year with principals to map restroom access and playground safety. The district said temporary classroom restrooms (portable trailers) were placed at Orcharddale, Evergreen, Ocean View and Laurel based on those assessments; Scott Avenue was not among the sites selected for a temporary restroom. Staff said Measure C has passed and the district is finalizing a facilities master plan in May; the plan will identify projects including restroom work across campuses.
District staff also noted that TK staffing and facility requirements change for the 2025–26 school year (the TK ratio will move from 1:12 to approximately 1:10 and the program will expand to include 3-year-olds), and said the district is evaluating classroom space, potential teacher moves, job-description changes and a proposed MOU with the classified bargaining unit to provide additional TK support. Staff told the board one requirement is that schools cannot ask whether a student is potty trained, and emphasized the work is ongoing; they said there is no immediate, district-wide staffing agreement to add permanent aides at Scott Avenue but the administration is exploring options.
Why it matters: Expanded TK and younger enrollment increase the need for developmentally appropriate restroom access and supervision. Parents and staff framed the issue as both a safety and equity concern: they said Scott Avenue students lack the same mitigation (portable restrooms) other TK sites received earlier in the year.
What’s next: District staff said they will finalize the facilities master plan in May and continue conversations with site principals about classroom placement and short-term supports while long-term restroom projects are planned.
