Committee reviews inclusive restroom layout and fixture choices

Design consultants presented details of inclusive restroom designs for the new Salem High School, highlighting a South Bar multi‑stall layout with centralized lavatory stations and full‑height partitions to balance privacy and supervision. Brooke (project designer) said the layout lets students use shared sink banks and then move left or right to stalls; the plan includes accessible single‑user fixtures and multi‑stall inclusive options.

During Q&A a committee member asked about hand dryers versus paper towels. Brooke said the plumbing guidance during COVID led to hand dryers being removed and that, at present, the team is planning for paper towels in the open restroom configurations, adding the pros and cons can be discussed further. "No one's surprised. But right now, it's all paper," Brooke said when explaining the current vendor guidance.