Banning High students tell school board restrooms are unsafe; principal, superintendent promise follow-up

Three Banning High students told the Banning Unified School District board on March 11 that campus restrooms are often unsafe and unsanitary and urged the district to increase supervision and take practical steps to make bathrooms usable.

"It is overall a disgusting experience in the school restrooms," Sarah McDermott said, describing toilets that leak, floors covered with water and toilet paper scattered on the floor. Jose Sanchez told the board he had seen students smoking and using drugs in the bathrooms, calling it an "unsafe space" for students who need to use the facilities. Jasmine Flanagan urged more regular checks by security staff and a female security presence in girls' restrooms.

Banning High principal "Mister Paws" acknowledged the concerns and said the site will address restroom supervision, noting that school leaders must balance supervision with student privacy. "We'll be on it," he told the board. Superintendent Davis thanked the students for speaking up and said the district would work with the site to follow up on the issues.

Board members asked for clarification about which restrooms are affected and requested staff return with specific follow-up. Trustee comments and subsequent discussion focused on ensuring a prompt administrative response rather than immediate policy changes; the board did not take formal action at the meeting beyond requesting that district staff investigate and report back.

Next steps: district staff committed to follow up with the high school administration and return to the board with findings and recommendations.