New Chapin High School policy limits restroom time during class
Some Chapin High School students tell ABC-7 they are concerned over a new policy that has limited their restroom time during class time.
Under the new policy, a student will only be able to go to the restroom, during each class period, three times over a nine week period.
For example, a student will only get to go to the restroom three times during history class during the nine week period, three times during math class during the same nine week period, etc.
The students said they were told about the new policy after returning from winter break last Thursday.
“This is really more on instances where this is being abused,” El Paso Independent School District Spokeswoman Melissa Martinez said. “And students that are just wasting time. We really want to make sure we preserve that instructional time so that students are in class as much as possible.”
But some students told ABC-7 they shouldn’t be punished for the mistakes of others.
“I’ve been a good student. I go to the restroom when I need to go to the restroom,” Ruby Medina, a student at Chapin, said. “Not because I need to hang out with friends or anything like that.”
“I think it’s kind of ridiculous,” student Nia Goode said. “I feel like three weeks is a little too far.”
Martinez said even if a student uses all of their “restroom passes”, a teacher can make the proper judgment on whether or not to allow the student to go.
“A teacher knows without having to have a student spell it out, if a student truly isn’t feeling well,” Martinez said. “Or really needs to be excused again. They’re going to use their common sense and allow that student to be excused.”
Martinez said this is not a district policy, but rather a policy implemented by the principal and staff specifically at Chapin High School. Martinez said parents have been notified and a meeting for students will be held Friday.
Students at Chapin typically take 4 classes a day and have a 5 minute break during passing periods along with a lunch break.
