When it comes to biological necessities, it is essential for schools to support students. While Coppell High School  offers a plethora of services and resources for its students to thrive, one specific area in which the school is lacking is in providing free and easy access to feminine products.

Currently, the only place feminine products can be accessed is in the nurse’s office. Though it is great to have some form of resource, school time is missed by students constantly having to go down to the office, wait for their turn, get the products, utilize them and go to class. Having products in the bathrooms is an easy fix for students to save time and energy better spent learning. Since CHS already has a supply of these products, it is not a major change to move them to bathrooms instead of the nurse’s office. 

According to CHS Principal Laura Springer, feminine products used to be available in the school bathrooms, but were removed due to a number of problems, the majority of which were forms of vandalism. Products were flushed down the toilets, ruining sewage systems. It is fair for the district to feel as though students cannot be trusted with free access when so many problems have occurred. However, with the right regulations, such as setting limits of products per day, menstruators should be given one more chance at equitable access to feminine products in bathrooms. 

Many other CISD campuses implement feminine products in bathrooms for students to use. For example, Coppell Middle School East and CHS9 offer feminine products with a small price. New Tech High School’s club “Go With the Flow” raised funding for sanitary products to be available in all bathrooms. CHS has a bigger population than all these schools, why don’t we have similar systems in place?  

This issue stems from the larger existing taboo in our school: talking about menstrual health. The stigma around menstrual health prevents many students from maintaining sanitary habits during their menstrual cycle. Menstruators are uncomfortable asking for products, burying the problem as many will hesitate to advocate for themselves. Under the tampon tax in Texas, feminine products are not considered necessities, and are therefore taxed. 

While it is commendable that the school offers products for menstruators, this service often goes to waste as not many students are aware of the resources available to them. Having products placed in bathrooms is a convenient way for students to take advantage of necessary products and shows that CHS is an inclusive place supporting menstruators during their menstrual cycle. No funds must be reallocated as the only change the school needs to make is moving the feminine products from the nurse to the bathrooms.

Having menstrual products in bathrooms will help the menstruator student body by making the school a more accessible environment for their biological needs. Trusting that CHS adolescents will be responsible with their privileges will bridge the gap between students and school staff, allowing for a more connected and comfortable school. 

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