At least three elementary schools in Florida removed toilet paper from their bathroom stalls because pupils were wasting it.
Teachers were instead told to hand out wads of tissues to students each time they wanted to use the toilet.
The Carter G. Woodson Elementary School in Jacksonville had been refusing to put toilet paper in the cubicles there until a group of parents complained to the local media.
Carter G. Woodson Elementary School in Jacksonville was one of at least three schools in the area that refused to put toilet paper in the bathroom. Students would instead have to request it
A sight like this was extremely rare in three Florida elementary schools until this week, left. Shantia Peterson, right, has taken her daughter out of school and moved her to another
Parents ended up having to send their children with their own wipes to go to school because of the bizarre policy which had been in force since the start of the school year.
Mother Shantia Peterson said she was packing her 4th-grade daughter off to school with a toilet roll in a Ziploc bag.
‘I did speak with the teacher about it as well. And I asked, I said, “What about if they run out?” She said, “Well, we have a student in the bathroom that can give them extra.” A student? A student!’ said Peterson to Action News Jax.
Peterson said it was not only embarrassing, she was also worried about whether it was sanitary.
‘You can’t just have it going from hand to hand!’ said Peterson.
Nevertheless, Duval County Public Schools spokesperson Laureen Ricks said the policy was not being encouraged and has since been completely stopped since the report first aired in local media earlier this week.
Reports emerged that at least two other schools in the area were also following similar rules including Brentwood Elementary School and Lake Shore Middle School all in Jacksonville.
‘The practice of not keeping toilet paper in school restrooms – as a result of misuse or waste – is not encouraged by the district.
We will continue to communicate this to our schools to ensure consistency district-wide. We invite parents to contact their school or the district if they have any concerns about this practice taking place in their child’s classroom or school so that we can immediately address.
‘We also ask parents to partner with us in talking to students about appropriate bathroom etiquette and the importance of respecting school supplies and resources,’ Ricks said in a statement.
Peterson has now moved her daughter to a different school where she says the teachers care more about students’ hygiene than their toilet paper budget.
‘I told her, I said, ‘Your new school, they’re going to have toilet paper in the bathrooms.’ My daughter got excited. She said, ‘What, are you serious? They’re going to have toilet paper in the bathroom?’ said Peterson.