Updated restrooms at Thomson Elementary School are leaving both students and staff with less work. At the end of last school year, self flushing toilets and automatic sink faucets were installed in the school's restrooms leaving them more sanitary, according to school officials.
McDuffie County Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services Jim Franklin said the new restrooms are safer and require less follow up from custodians. Normally during a school day, many students leave toilets unflushed, causing odors and unsanitary conditions in the restroom.
This forces custodians to go in each restroom and finish the job that the students forgot to finish. But the new plumbing takes those problems out of the equation.
"It is something that we feel is more sanitary and better conservation-wise in terms of the use of those toilets," Dr. Franklin said. "The students will not have any faucets to turn onŠthat electronic system, we think is going to work quite well for Thomson Elementary School."
TES Principal Donald Davis agrees. He feels the updated restrooms are a needed improvement, in more ways than one.
"It helps to enhance the hygiene of the restroom because children, you encourage them to flush, but they don't always do it," Dr. Davis said. "This way, it helps keep that area a lot cleaner and healthier for them, so we're pleased with that."
The modern restrooms cost the school system more up front than a conventional restroom setup, but school officials feel it will conserve water, therefore saving money over time.
"The up front costs were more, obviously, to put in the electronic system," Dr. Franklin said. "But we feel in the long run we're going to save money because we will save on resources."
Dr. Franklin also stated that the new electronic system will eliminate some vandalism such as students leaving water running. He said it will also encourage more sanitary habits such as hand washing.
The new restroom system is so attractive and advantageous, according to school officials, that the rest of the schools in McDuffie County will sooner or later follow suit.
"We look upon it as a modern trend that many schools are going to," Dr. Franklin said. "We look to phase out these old systems we remodel and update schools. ... It looks like something futuristic when you go into a restroom and don't see faucets."
