The Boyle bathrooms being closed at Malden High School has been a constant issue since the last school year. It has created significant issues for all students at Malden High as it disrupts their schedules and causes unnecessary stress.
With fewer accessible bathrooms, long lines have become a major issue for students. It has caused students to miss class because they had to wait for an available bathroom. “The overcrowding does affect my attendance back to class because then I have to wait five to ten minutes for an available bathroom stall to become available,” said junior Brenda Darisse.
“I didn’t think the bathrooms would be an issue for this long,” said junior Alecia Louigene.
Courtney Braz, a history teacher at Malden High, sees the issue’s complexity. “Kids are out of the classroom for a longer period of time but I’ve noticed that it has helped with controlling the bathroom situation…My first year I was here, kids were going to all the bathrooms and multiple bathrooms were an issue and it is more contained now but it also does mean that kids are being in the bathroom a little longer,” Braz noted.
It also affects people’s sense of privacy when going to the bathroom. People are supposed to feel comfortable when going to the bathroom but instead, there can be more than 15 people in the bathroom with them, and they cannot help but feel uncomfortable.
The Boyle bathroom situation just highlights the urgent need for more accessible bathrooms to support the well-being and productivity of all students.
