Rock Island High School recently introduced a new bathroom policy under Principal Patricia Ulrich in response to vandalism. According to this policy, restrooms are only open during the 4-minute passing periods and close five minutes after each class begins. During class time, students must get a teacher pass, then find a hall monitor to unlock a restroom. Only the ground-floor bathrooms remain open during lunch and dismissal, and if a hall monitor cannot be located during an urgent situation, students must use the single-stall restroom in the main hallway.

This new system will most likely result in long delays, increased class disruptions, and limited access for students who genuinely need to use the restroom. Many students feel the current rules are restrictive and improper, especially for a school with a large student population.

We are asking the administration and or principal, to return to the previous bathroom policy, which allowed reasonable access throughout the school day without requiring hall monitor availability or limiting restroom use to narrow timeframes. A return to the old policy would restore fairness, accessibility, and respect for students’ basic needs.