WOODBURY — Students at Nonnewaug currently find using the upstairs bathroom a constant issue due to it frequently being locked. Over the last few months, the upstairs bathroom has been in and out of use, limiting access to only two bathrooms downstairs. NHS students wonder why it’s locked and when this problem will be resolved.

Some students find this problem quite tiresome, especially if classes are upstairs.

 “I feel like it takes away from class time due to the fact that I have to go out of my way to get to the bathroom especially if my class is upstairs,” said Chris Koemp, a senior at NHS.

While that may be true, staff members say the reason behind this issue is due to the lack of teachers to supervise the area as they are oftentimes needed to cover classes when other substitutes aren’t available.

“The upstairs bathrooms could be locked for a number of reasons; usually the main reason is due to the lack of teachers to unlock and monitor the bathrooms,” said Ellie Bruce, who is on hall duty during most periods of the day. 

Teachers and staff say that they have encountered issues with the upstairs bathrooms due to inappropriate behavior of some students, so it’s better to have someone there to monitor it just in case something happens. 

Despite some students’ frustrations, administrators feel like this isn’t an insurmountable issue.

“The ag bathrooms and first floor bathrooms are always open and accessible,” said Nicole Lewis, the assistant principal at Nonnewaug. “Additionally, the bathrooms in the cafeteria also open during all lunch waves and, for students with study halls, the bathrooms in the LMC are also always accessible. “

The administrative staff has also assured students that there are additional options on the first floor of campus.

“Students are always welcome to use the bathroom in the nurse’s office if needed,” Lewis said. “Given there are numerous other bathrooms available, I do not see the temporary closure of the upstairs bathrooms as a problem.”