GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Bathrooms across Green Bay secondary schools could soon have windows installed. Why the district thinks this controversial move is necessary.
- Video shows windows installed at Green Bay Preble bathrooms.
- Only two bathrooms in the school feature windows
- Parents, alumni express mixed feelings about the additions
- Green Bay high schools, middle schools could have windows in bathrooms after $183 million referendum
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"I was kinda taken aback by that," one Green Bay Preble High School parent said.
They said seeing windows installed in school bathrooms brings great concern.
"We went to go check them out and the exterior walls are all windows, you can see the inside, you can the doors to the bathroom, you can see pretty much everything inside," the parent said.
The parent wished to remain anonymous as they have a student at Preble High.
They said this all happened during a parent school visit.
Many on social media commenting on the situation citing safety and privacy concerns for students.
"One of the issues especially on the high school level, I would say, students spending more time in the restroom than they probably should," Cale Pulczinski, Green Bay Area Public School District (GBAPS) chief operating officer, said.
He says adding windows provides more supervision in the common area of the school.
Preble High School is the first school in the district to implement windows, but might not be the last.
"Potentially with the referendum in November, if that does pass, (there could be an) opportunity to execute similar projects at our other schools," Pulczinski said.
The $183 million referendum consists of $33 million going towards security and privacy which could include adding windows to bathrooms across the district.
Parents I spoke with said their students are avoiding the new-look restrooms.
"They will go out of their way to not use that bathroom because not all the bathrooms are like that, just the two in the commons area," the parent said.
"The restrooms are performing how we had hoped they would and we certainly think that would continue," Pulczinski said.
So far, Pulczinski said the district has not received any direct feedback or concerns.
