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Student leaders present plan for free menstrual products after survey finds access problems
Summary
The Student Leadership Program told the board it collected 320 survey responses and found access gaps to menstrual products; it recommended building-level options — supervised administration stations for younger students and tamper‑resistant dispensers in high schools — and urged education and phased rollout.
Student leaders from the district’s Student Leadership Program (SLP) presented a plan on May 13 to expand access to free menstrual products in Erie City SD schools after a districtwide survey found gaps in availability and impacts on instruction.
The SLP said it received 320 survey submissions (302 students, 18 educators). The presentation reported that 250 respondents said they know where to find period products at school but that 118 students said they had missed class time because products were inaccessible. The SLP summarized open‑ended feedback requesting more product sizes, more flexible bathroom time when students need it, and suggestions that some school stores carry products.
To address those findings, the students outlined two distribution models: (1) supervised administration stations placed in educator-supervised areas (recommended for elementary and middle schools), and (2) tamper-resistant wall dispensers (used in nurse offices and some bathrooms in higher grades) that hold roughly 100 products (about 50 pads/50 tampons). Presenters said the district’s current wall-mounted dispensers use a patented tamper‑resistant design and that the district nurse agreed to order additional sizes.
The SLP urged a school-by-school approach so buildings can select the distribution model that best fits architecture, culture and supervision needs. They also emphasized education and clear communication so students and families know what to expect. A board member suggested a resolution for the next agenda to memorialize the approach and provide a template for future SLP cohorts.
What the record shows: the SLP presented survey numbers, proposed two distribution methods with pros and cons, and recommended phased, building-level implementation and education plans.
