The summer is always a busy time for the Westridge facilities team who work to address all manner of structural needs. In an effort to be more gender inclusive, administration approved a small but noticeable change to the bathroom signage. At the beginning of the school year, four restrooms previously labeled as “Women” or “Girls” were changed to “Student Restrooms.” The change was made in response to faculty and students who wanted more inclusive bathroom options.

While students were not formally part of the conversation about the bathroom signage, faculty and administration had input in the change. Stevie Bolton, Librarian and Upper School Gender Affinity co-advisor, was a part of the conversation. “A few students have come up to me and mentioned that [they] felt some sort of relief in seeing that at least a sign or an indication that they were being thought of and that they were being included in ways that they hadn’t felt seen before,” said Mx. Bolton. 

Though some students were confused given Westridge’s mission and identity as a school for girls, 6th grader Cordelia P. noted that Westridge has transgender students and people who identify with male or non-binary pronouns. She thinks that the change in the bathroom signs fosters a “[larger] sense of learning” and will encourage students to learn or understand more about the LGBTQ+ community.  

Some students did not notice the change or thought it was so minor that it didn’t make much of a difference. Ruby G. ’29 said, “It was just a really small detail, and it’s more inclusive now, but we have bigger things to spend [the school’s money] on.”

Westridge Gender Affinity Head, Grace W. ’26 appreciated the signage but noted the need for inclusivity beyond bathroom signage. “It’s thoughtful to increase inclusivity through labeling [the bathrooms], but I think the bigger problems don’t have to do with the title of the bathroom, but the way people feel like walking around campus and the way people feel that they’re perceived,” they said.

While most students agree that the label “student bathroom” is helpful, they are also concerned that the term “student” may be too broad and cause confusion for guests, particularly visitors who might not know where to go. Currently, there are a total of 29 bathrooms on campus.  Two are specifically for men only. Seven are for women or girls only. Eight are labeled as “all-gender.”  Four bathrooms are labeled, “Student Restrooms.”

Balancing bathroom access and needs is something the administration is aware of.  Sarah Jallo, Assistant Head of School for Strategic Priorities and Enrollment Management, said, “We wanted to ensure that there was a space for everybody, and we have a lot of single stalls on campus, so if anybody is uncomfortable in any space, there’s always that option as well.”