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Parents and board debate locker-room plans and DOE review for new Mountain Valley building
Summary
Community members questioned why a dividing wall shown in 2022 floor plans was removed from the visible online plans; administrators said spaces are private with floor-to-ceiling stall doors and that DOE review/owner-initiated change procedures may apply; the issue prompted extended public concern.
A public commenter raised detailed concerns about floor-plan differences for the new Mountain Valley building and whether the state Department of Education (DOE) required coed or single-use locker-room arrangements.
The commenter (Speaker 3) said they reviewed the district website and found the 2022 plans show a dividing wall between locker rooms, but the current plans presented online allow circulation around the space and lack that wall. "Why did that wall come down?" the commenter asked, citing DOE construction and renovation standards and Chapter 61 regulations referenced in the meeting.
Administrators responded that many of the new building's restroom and changing spaces are private stalls, noting floor-to-ceiling doors in some areas and separate classroom bathrooms for younger grades. Speaker 4 said the district had consulted with the Department of Education and that owner-initiated change orders and facilities review/approval processes can apply, promising to follow up with specifics.
Board members cautioned against allowing the issue to become a broader political "culture war" and emphasized operational safeguards for student privacy and staff supervision. Speakers discussed access and unlocking protocols and how physical layout interacts with supervision during class transitions.
The transcript records requests for administrators to identify who authorized plan changes and for the district to provide the 2022 plans and any approvals or correspondence with the DOE; the board agreed to follow up and placed the matter in further discussion rather than resolving it in the meeting.
