Northampton students press school leaders over bathroom closures, hall‑monitor enforcement

Student leaders told the Northampton School Committee on Feb. 12 that repeated bathroom closures at Northampton High School — caused by vandalism, vaping and safety incidents — are affecting daily life and learning.

“Sometimes all of the bathrooms are closed… and that is preposterous,” said student commentator Zara during the Student Advisory Council presentation, describing clogged toilets, burn marks and fights that have led to prolonged closures. Students said hall monitors often fail to enforce sign‑in procedures, allow groups to enter together and use personal devices while on duty, undermining the stated purpose of monitoring.

Superintendent Dr. Bonner and building administrators said the closures are driven by student safety and vandalism and described steps the district has taken. Dr. Bonner said administrators have increased hiring of campus/hall monitors, instituted schedules for consistent monitoring, and plan to pilot a digital SmartPass system to better limit and track out‑of‑class movement. “It’s not that we want to shut the bathrooms down, but we shut them down for safety reasons and to make sure the bathrooms are clean,” she said.

Students told the committee the new measures are rarely enforced in practice: sign‑in sheets can be manipulated, monitors are not consistently onboarded, and students see monitors using phones in visible ways. Student leaders urged the district to provide monitor training, consider school‑issued devices for monitors to limit inappropriate phone use, and consult students on onboarding and policy changes. They also raised related issues: overcrowded classrooms, unpopular school lunches and an upcoming geothermal project they say will reduce parking and imperil the senior‑class fundraiser.

Several committee members thanked the students and said they heard the concerns. Member Mahoney asked the students to propose solutions; Member Virgil asked whether students saw viable remedies and urged administrators to consult them. Administrators committed to follow up: Diane, an associate principal, said additional monitors have been hired and that staff are implementing sweeps and a tighter supervisory schedule.

The committee did not adopt new policy at the meeting but directed staff to continue the pilot measures and to report back; students pressed for earlier notification and direct consultation on policy rollouts such as the forthcoming phone policy and the SmartPass pilot. The most recent development is the district’s commitment to proceed with training and to provide a timeline for SmartPass implementation.