News

Roseburg School Board Prioritizes Funding for Locker Room Privacy Upgrades

The Roseburg School Board has approved up to $95,000 to add private changing and shower areas to Roseburg High School’s locker rooms. The upgrades aim to improve student comfort and privacy, with plans for individual stalls and enclosed spaces funded through the district’s 404 infrastructure fund.

ROSEBURG, Ore. — The Roseburg Public Schools Board of Education has voted unanimously to move forward with plans to improve privacy in school locker rooms, marking a significant step toward modernizing student facilities.

During a Wednesday work session and board meeting, members discussed growing student and parent concerns about the lack of private changing and shower spaces at Roseburg High School. Following a tour of the existing locker rooms, the board and district leadership agreed that updates were needed to meet current expectations for privacy and comfort.

Superintendent Jared Corden said the facilities were built during a time when privacy was less emphasized. “The locker room was built in a different era, where privacy probably wasn't valued as much,” Corden said. “The facilities are outdated. We’ve heard this from our community and our kids—it’s just not meeting their needs.”

Corden shared examples from other schools, including Douglas High School and Lincoln High School, which have added individual stalls and private shower areas. The board reviewed several design options, ranging from partition-style stalls to fully enclosed single-person changing rooms. Depending on the model, each privacy stall could cost up to $5,000.

Despite the cost, Corden described the investment as long-term and reusable. “Unlike some things we do, like fixing a boiler from 1942, this is something that would have lasting value,” he said.

Under the proposal, up to $95,000 will be allocated from the district’s 404 infrastructure fund to design and implement privacy upgrades. Preliminary plans include installing eight private changing rooms, three showers, and a toilet in the girls’ locker room, and four changing rooms, three showers, and one toilet in the boys’ locker room.

Board members expressed support for the initiative, noting that enhanced privacy could increase student comfort and encourage better hygiene. Board Chair Andrea Miner said she expects private showers to be well-used once installed. “I think it’s a great thing,” she said.

Board Director Steve Hammerson agreed, recalling his own school experience. “I wasn’t comfortable taking a shower in a big room with a bunch of other teenagers, but if there was a stall there, I think I would have,” he said.

No timeline for construction has been set, but district officials said planning will begin as soon as possible.

For more information about Roseburg Public Schools Board of Education meetings and updates, visit https://tinyurl.com/yp9r45ts.