Down to 6 minutes

AHS students and staff respond to recent changes in bathroom policy

News, Politics, and A&E Editor

This semester, AHS introduced the 6-minute bathroom pass, a reduction from the previously established 7-minute pass. With bathroom breaks monitored by the 5-Star digital hall pass system rolled out just last year, students and staff have differing reactions to the change.

Assistant Principal Mr. Peterson explained the administrative decision to implement a 6-minute bathroom break. “We looked at data, and students weren’t exceeding a certain amount of time. There was a pattern of students who were out a lot or using the bathroom a lot. We wanted to see if changing the bathroom time out would minimize wandering.”

Many students feel frustrated as the nearest bathroom is not always the most convenient. Pranathi Kande (11) said, “I’m so irritated. One of my classes is in the portables, so the nearest bathroom is in the 300-wing, because the bathroom by the portables is never open. The walk itself takes 2 minutes. You get to spend maybe a minute and a half in the bathroom.”

She continued, “I shouldn’t have to be punished just because someone else isn’t spending their bathroom time wisely.”

Others feel indifferent about the minute-shorter time limit, believing it will hardly impact their time out. Romir Swar (11) said, “I think I’m pretty neutral. I don’t really care that they changed it. My teachers care more about the fact that I’m coming back at a reasonable time.”

Mrs. Sharma emphasized that the goal of the shorter bathroom break is to prioritize students’ academic time. “The primary academic impact is missed instruction. If a student repeatedly exceeds the time limit, there will also be follow-up from administration because it can indicate a pattern of avoiding class,” she said. “Our goal is to correct behavior early so students don’t lose learning time.”

Still, students express frustrations with navigating the tight time limit. Shreeya Manga (11) shared, “7 minutes was a nice medium. It was never long—it’s not enough time to wander, and you could still get your business done. How are we supposed to go in 6 minutes?”

Malvika Balaji (10) said, “One time, I was in the bathroom in the new buildings. I got my period, but I didn’t have a pad. Having to get the pad and then come back before my 6 minutes were up was stressful. And on top of that, I was stopped by administration because of it.”

Mr. Peterson addressed the concerns of students who fear repercussions even when they use the system as intended. “We aren’t sitting here monitoring if someone has signed out for 6 minutes and 3 seconds. It’s more of a safety thing—and we want to keep students in class as much as possible,” he said.

“Of course,” he added, “if we’re seeing very frequently that students are violating the time limit, they’ll receive an administrative referral.”

Though students and staff report varied feedback regarding the intentions and implementation of the bathroom policy, some believe that even the introduction of the policy can contribute to a more academically enriching school environment. Mr. Lucas, an AP Biology teacher, said, “I think that the announcement of the bathroom policy itself helps relay to students that someone actually does care about the time you spend out of class. I think the announcement of the policy itself is helpful.