A bad day just became worse. You’re in panic mode as you try to get a product and have no success—now you have to trudge all the way to the nurse’s office, risking further emergency. Having working feminine product dispensers is imperative for girls at Wayne Valley, yet in most of the school bathrooms, they are neglected and forgotten.
“The knob [in the new wing bathroom] broke off,” explains Mrs. Ledder, teacher and current bathroom monitor of the new wing bathroom. One student who needed a product from the dispenser couldn’t get a pad out, so she directed them to the nurse’s office. Mrs. Ledder believes, “It’s very important for girls to have access to what they need.” Unfortunately, they must venture across to school to get it. This inaccessibility is a significant issue, as it disrupts learning for a substantial portion of the student population.
Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed S-1221 into law (P.L.2023, c.147), requiring school districts to provide menstrual products in public schools serving grades 6-12. Valley provides these products for free but sometimes access to them is difficult.
One student, Katelyn Hartwich, needed a product, but she said “there was nothing in the bathroom.” As a result, she had to go home, missing out on valuable class time. Hartwich feels that girls “can never rely on Wayne Valley” when it comes to feminine products, and that she’s never seen the dispensers full.
The dispensers are an essential resource for those who menstruate. Not everyone remembers to bring products, while others “don’t necessarily have access to what they need at home, so having a place where they can still get some products is necessary,” noted Mrs. Ledder.
All students at Wayne Valley are meant to feel safe and cared for no matter what. The dispensers have potential to be incredible resources, but they desperately need upkeep and attention.