Now with a push from many states, and an increase in teacher vaccinations, schools are truly re-opening. At last! But let’s rewind the clock a tick. Early July 2020 was a hopeful time. As Americans, we were planning for a return to some normalcy in the Fall, and for school re-openings. But that was before the summer bump in cases appeared, and before a devastating Fall and Winter. The majority of schools – especially public schools – remained closed. In July 2020, Dr. Tom Keating of Project CLEAN and the American Restroom Association released a brief article titled, “Ten Things to do NOW to get your School Ready for Students in a COVID-19 World.” Those same 10 things hold true today. Yet here is an incredible fact. In all the re-opening plans mapped out for schools, a rare one or two make mention of what to do for school restrooms. Most students will be visiting those areas during the school day, but as in pre-Covid times, scant attention is paid to those spaces. Parents and Teachers, we encourage you to speak up and ensure restrooms are addressed – not only from a coronavirus perspective – but from a holistic student wellness perspective. Clean, safe, well-designed restrooms are what America’s school children deserve.

• Tim Pyle, Executive Director – March 10, 2021