Does your grade school have a gender neutral bathroom?

[Anonymous]

Our school does. It’s new this year apparently. Is this a new thing across mcps?

[Anonymous]

The nurse's office has always had a gender neutral bathroom in every MCPS school I've ever been in, for the past 20 or so years, and there have been other single stall bathrooms used by both sexes as well. As a special educator, we've always had kids who had permission to use a single stall due to medical conditions that meant they needed more privacy.

It might be new that they're referring to it that way, but it's certainly not new that they have one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The nurse's office has always had a gender neutral bathroom in every MCPS school I've ever been in, for the past 20 or so years, and there have been other single stall bathrooms used by both sexes as well. As a special educator, we've always had kids who had permission to use a single stall due to medical conditions that meant they needed more privacy.

It might be new that they're referring to it that way, but it's certainly not new that they have one.

That’s not what I’m talking about.

There is a new bathroom in the hallway with a sign indicating both girls/boys restroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The nurse's office has always had a gender neutral bathroom in every MCPS school I've ever been in, for the past 20 or so years, and there have been other single stall bathrooms used by both sexes as well. As a special educator, we've always had kids who had permission to use a single stall due to medical conditions that meant they needed more privacy.

It might be new that they're referring to it that way, but it's certainly not new that they have one.

That’s not what I’m talking about.

There is a new bathroom in the hallway with a sign indicating both girls/boys restroom.

That's good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The nurse's office has always had a gender neutral bathroom in every MCPS school I've ever been in, for the past 20 or so years, and there have been other single stall bathrooms used by both sexes as well. As a special educator, we've always had kids who had permission to use a single stall due to medical conditions that meant they needed more privacy.

It might be new that they're referring to it that way, but it's certainly not new that they have one.

That’s not what I’m talking about.

There is a new bathroom in the hallway with a sign indicating both girls/boys restroom.

That's good.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Boys bathrooms are generally disgusting in public schools.

[Anonymous]

Is it a third bathroom? Like one for girls, one for boys, and one for whoever?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it a third bathroom? Like one for girls, one for boys, and one for whoever?

I think so. It was adjacent to a single gender restroom in the hallway.

[Anonymous]

Inside the new bathroom are all spaces private stalls?
No urinals without a door?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Boys bathrooms are generally disgusting in public schools.

And all over the planet earth, my friend. All over the planet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Inside the new bathroom are all spaces private stalls?
No urinals without a door?

Not sure. I didn’t walk in. My kid noticed it and said, “Wait…what’s that? Is it a bathroom for anyone? That’s new.”

I definitely saw a stall, but I didn’t see everything inside. It was not a single use restroom (like the ones for staff that have a locking door to the hallway). It was definitely communal.

[Anonymous]

What? They had these last year if not before. You probably just didn’t notice bc Covid.

It’s a single stall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What? They had these last year if not before. You probably just didn’t notice bc Covid.

It’s a single stall.

At all schools? My kid seems to think it’s new. It looked new.

[Anonymous]

This was in the news right before Covid hit. MCPS had plans to spend a bunch of money to investigate whether it could implement gender-neutral restrooms. The idea had a ton of support from DCUM.

Now that there were some issues in Loudoun County with restroom usage, I wonder if people might have a change of opinion.

I think it’s a terrible idea. Especially for MS girls and upper ES. But I’m clearly in the minority.

[Anonymous]

More info about this from 2019 in Bethesda Beat.

$10.3 million if it is implemented in every school, FWIW.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2019/05/23/renovating-mcps-bathrooms-into-all-gender-restrooms-could-cost-50k-each/

[Anonymous]

My middle schooler says that is where all the sex and vaping happens.