April 14 Akron Board of Education meeting
Covered by Documenter ShaKeela Gary (see her notes here)
North High School junior Tat Ti Zin delivered a pointed and passionate message last month to Akron school board members about policies affecting students — chief among them, a bathroom pass policy.
Zin said students at his school are limited to two bathroom passes per class, per semester.
“This is not only restrictive, but, quite frankly, unreasonable,” Zin, a student representative, said at the Akron Board of Education meeting on April 14. “No student should have to choose between their basic needs and following school rules.”
Zin emphasized that the intention behind the policy — to prevent students from misusing bathroom breaks — had backfired, penalizing all students.
North High School has about 1,000 students, a number that has grown in recent decades due to a rising immigrant population in Akron’s North Hill neighborhood.
Akron Public Schools spokesperson Stacey Hodoh said in an email that North High School officials have documented instances of vandalism and other prohibited activities in school bathrooms, including students vaping or smoking cigars. Hodoh did not make North Principal Charles Morrison available for an interview but said the school implemented a system of monitored bathroom access due to student misconduct and limited safety staff to monitor restroom areas — especially at the start of the school day and during lunch periods.
“We want to emphasize that the vast majority of our students follow student conduct policies and are very respectful of the learning environment,” Hodoh said.
North High School has restrooms available all day on the main floor, near the cafeteria. Two additional restrooms are available near the main floor auditorium as needed. And restrooms on the second floor open at 9 a.m. and remain open until the lunch period.
It’s unknown whether North High School’s bathroom policy is followed at other Akron public schools or how long the current policy has been in place.
Beyond decrying the limited number of bathroom passes, Zin also called for updated and more accessible bathroom facilities.
“We need updated facilities as well as a more practical student-consent policy regarding bathroom passes,” he said.
Voters in November approved a levy to pay for the construction of a new North High School.
The school is scheduled to be finished by 2027 or 2028.
School board president Carla Jackson said she wanted to see more response to student issues, like those Zin brought up.
“I want to see action items aligned with what the students are saying their concerns are,” Jackson said. “We need to know how to pivot or advocate in different ways to support what the student body is telling us.”
Signal Akron Education Reporter Andrew Keiper contributed to this report.
