Youth Panel, District Address Restrooms

For months the Simi Valley Youth Council has been trying to deal with messy school restrooms, where graffiti markings cover walls, trash cans overflow, paper products are not replaced and the rooms are constantly filthy, according to council Chairman and Royal High junior Jonquil Urdaz.

The council this week met with Lowell Schultze, the Simi Valley Unified School District’s assistant superintendent for business services, to discuss how conditions can be improved.

Schultze said the district has spent about $70,000 in the past 2 1/2 years to improve school restrooms.

But the Youth Council wasn’t entirely satisfied.

The 24-member group, which has at least one representative from each of Simi Valley’s high schools and middle schools and advises the City Council on youth issues, wants a subcommittee to meet with Schultze again to ensure students have clean and well-supplied restrooms.

Schultze said he is willing to work with the council, but added that students also are responsible for keeping the facilities clean.

“It’s not all a district issue,” he said. “Some of that has to fall back on the students.”

Nevertheless, Schultze said he plans to discuss the issue with plant managers at local schools.

“I will work with the sites to see what we can do to improve this,” he said.