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Banks SD 13 reviews high school restroom design, weighing privacy against supervision
Summary
At a Dec. 8 work session, district staff presented a restroom design with three restroom banks, a single-user ADA-accessible gender-neutral stall, and vape detectors; board members raised maintenance, supervision and privacy trade-offs.
Speaker 3 (Presenter) told the board the new high school design includes three banks of restrooms — two on the first floor and one on the second — and a single-use ADA-accessible, gender-neutral restroom intended for privacy and mobility assistance.
“The new school will have 3 banks of new restrooms, if you will,” Speaker 3 said, describing the layout and noting a separate locking single-use room large enough for mobility assistance.
Why it matters: the design aims to balance student privacy with staff supervision and safety. Speaker 3 said the district considered the Americans with Disabilities Act and Oregon Department of Education guidance when planning the restrooms, and that privacy concerns extended beyond gender identity to sight, sound and smell.
Board members and staff pressed for details on maintenance and durability. Speaker 2 asked whether toilets use in-wall carriers or are floor-mounted; carrier systems make replacement more complex but can preserve floor finishes. Operations staff (Speaker 8) said they will ensure backing and bracing and will follow up on whether carriers are included in the current layout.
On supervision and safety, the district plans partial sight lines and technology: speakers said restroom partitions would not go fully to the floor, leaving a 12-inch clearance, and that vape/smoke detectors would be installed. Speaker 3 said the design includes a T-shaped partial wall with gender signage to increase visual privacy while allowing line-of-sight supervision in corridors.
Board members suggested additional safety measures. Speaker 7 raised the possibility of a panic button or other direct communication for staff to respond to incidents in single-use spaces; Speaker 3 said the idea is worth exploring and staff will research options.
What remains unresolved: final fixture types, the presence or type of access panels for in-wall carriers, and whether any chosen configuration will require special maintenance procedures or influence long-term costs. Those details will be confirmed as the district moves from design development to construction documents and early bidding.
Next step: staff will incorporate feedback into the construction documents as they move toward early bidding and final budget updates in January.
