Rio Rancho Public Schools to test new bathroom design to curb vandalism
The proposed changes to bathrooms at Rio Rancho High School started because of a Tiktok challenge to vandalize the school’s restrooms. It’s not uncommon to see this type of graffiti on high school bathrooms, but at Rio Rancho High School, administrators say it’s out of hand. “They vandalized a number of our restroom facilities in our high schools, costing thousands and thousands of dollars worth of damage,” said Michael Baker, the chief operations officer for Rio Rancho Public Schools. Baker said that’s not the only problem. “There’s quite a few things that happen in the restrooms. Vaping, for example, fighting, bullying, harassment, setting fires,” Baker said. The current restrooms look like a traditional enclosed restroom. The new design is an open concept with individual stalls and open spaces between the sinks and stalls.Baker said there will be security measures specifically for vaping. “We will have a vape detector in each stall, and we will also have video cameras will be on the exterior of the restroom facilities, and we would be able to see, if we needed to, who walks into which stall,” Baker said. Once the test restroom is remodeled the school will gather data and listen to the community on how the new design is working.
The proposed changes to bathrooms at Rio Rancho High School started because of a Tiktok challenge to vandalize the school’s restrooms.
It’s not uncommon to see this type of graffiti on high school bathrooms, but at Rio Rancho High School, administrators say it’s out of hand.
“They vandalized a number of our restroom facilities in our high schools, costing thousands and thousands of dollars worth of damage,” said Michael Baker, the chief operations officer for Rio Rancho Public Schools.
Baker said that’s not the only problem.
“There’s quite a few things that happen in the restrooms. Vaping, for example, fighting, bullying, harassment, setting fires,” Baker said.
The current restrooms look like a traditional enclosed restroom. The new design is an open concept with individual stalls and open spaces between the sinks and stalls.
Baker said there will be security measures specifically for vaping.
“We will have a vape detector in each stall, and we will also have video cameras will be on the exterior of the restroom facilities, and we would be able to see, if we needed to, who walks into which stall,” Baker said.
Once the test restroom is remodeled the school will gather data and listen to the community on how the new design is working.