A new bathroom policy recently gained attention, despite Principal Jeffrey Litz having asked teachers to implement it in December.
The policy states that students should not leave class for any other reason, including going to the bathroom, in the first and last 10 minutes of class.
“I need to have the halls clear when class starts and before class ends so that we’re able to know where our students are and what they’re doing,” he said.
He said he hopes it can decrease student tardies.
“It gives us an opportunity to deal with students who are chronically tardy and to be able to encourage those students to not be late,” Litz said. “I can’t do that if there’s lots of people running around in the halls in the first and last 10 minutes of class.”
But there are exceptions to this policy.
“We have to kind of use our common sense with it as well,” Litz said. “If [students] have some other emergency, or if they have a pass to go check out, then then that’s not an issue.”
Litz said that although it is not mandated county-wide, most schools in Fairfax County have a similar policy.
The policy relies on the teacher’s integrity to implement for it to be effective.
“When it’s implemented with fidelity, I do think that it is effective,” Litz said. “It requires everybody in the building doing what they’re supposed to do with it.”
Sophomore Wiktor Wyszogrodzki said he understands why the policy was created. It doesn’t stop some of the student population from viewing it negatively, though.
“I think it’s controversial due to kids wanting to go to the bathroom in an emergency in the first 10 minutes of class,” he said. “I think that they should be allowed to go to the bathroom, although I do understand the other argument.”