50 signatures reached
To: Trustee Fehrman & HWDSB Trustees
Funding needed for Rousseau Public School
We are writing to you today about the state of the washroom facilities at Rousseau Public school in Ancaster, one of the schools within your purview. Built in 1958, the age of Rousseau's facilities are affecting the health and well-being of its student population. As you know, the school board has had several unsuccessful funding applications to rebuild. We understand that the school board’s current direction is to not provide funds and resources for the school to upgrade ‘permanent’ fixtures under the assumption that eventually the school building will be rebuilt. However, over the current school year there have been many concerns expressed from the student community about the state of the washrooms within the Rousseau school building. Upon further review, it is evident to the parent community that the washroom facilities within the school are in desperate need of an upgrade. Students have noted that the stall doors don’t close and lock properly (nor easily), the sinks in the Junior end are presumably the same sinks as from when the school was first built in 1958, the ventilation in these spaces is so poor that the smell is repulsive, and the fixtures in these spaces have not been updated to meet the needs of the students within this school community.
Why is this important?
Students have been reporting they avoid going to the washroom during the day because they do not feel that it is a safe space for them – their privacy is not guaranteed. The cleanliness of the washrooms is also of concern, with the need for more dedicated caretaking time spent on ensuring these spaces meet the hygiene standards required to prevent the spread of infections (to which over the past two years, Rousseau has fell victim). The experience of going to the washroom in their current state creates feelings of insecurity, anxiousness, uncertainty, and overall poor hygiene. These reports from students run contrary to the Hamilton-Wentworth School Board’s Facilities policy which indicates:
“Hamilton‐Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) believes in maintaining equitable, efficient and sustainable schools and other board facilities that provide safe and high-quality learning and working environments for students, staff and the community.”
You can appreciate that students who avoid using the washroom for an entire school day is a true reflection that the environment being provided for them is not safe nor a high-quality learning environment.
The parent community at Rousseau Public school are imploring the school board to allocate funds to improve the washroom facilities at the school so that students feel comfortable and safe using these necessary spaces. We recognize that the school board is in a tough position as the intention to rebuild the school building is strong, however after many years of unsuccessful applications for funding, it is time to recognize that the Board now needs to direct money towards the upkeep of the building in order to improve the facilities that students need to use daily. The health and wellbeing of our children depend on it.
Sincerely,
The Rousseau School community