RSU 10 board to revisit privacy and safety of communal bathrooms at new Mountain Valley school after public outcry

The Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 board voted to add a formal discussion to a future agenda to address privacy and safety concerns about the first-floor communal bathroom at the new Mountain Valley Community School.

Darcy, a board member who moved to add the item, said correspondence after a Dec. 30 informational meeting showed the communal bathroom "will in actuality be heavily utilized by students daily," raising "significant privacy and safety concerns," and asked the board to consider restoring the dividing wall that appeared in earlier plans. The board voted to place the item on a future agenda after a show-of-hands vote; the chair announced "the yeses have it." The bathrooms have been taped off and will remain closed pending further action.

The item drew repeated public comment. Matthew Martin told the board "we gathered 276 signatures" on a petition opposing gender-neutral facilities and urged restoring separate spaces. Other community members and staff described concerns about supervision during high-usage times (allied-arts periods and lunch) and the potential for unauthorized recording devices inside stall areas.

Board members debated technical and legal constraints. Kristen cited state construction and human-rights-related provisions, referencing Title 20‑A §6501 and related code sections and said the district's code-enforcement officer and the district's attorneys were reviewing whether the current configuration affects the occupancy permit. Superintendent Deb told the board she would seek legal and architectural clarification (including input from the project architects identified as Harriman/Herriman and the contractor) and expected to have information for the board before the next meeting.

Allison, a board member, urged caution against allowing outside political actors to drive the discussion and asserted the new designs "are more private, more easily supervised, and infinitely safer than any we grew up with." Darcy and others said safety and trust concerns arose because changes to the original design had occurred without broad board or public discussion.

The board directed the Buildings & Grounds and Transportation committee to hold a special meeting to gather technical options and recommended actions for the board to consider. Until the board takes further action, signs and caution tape mark the doors as closed.

The board plans to place a specific agenda item on the next meeting to consider potential corrective work, legal interpretations, and implementation timelines.