Dear Editor:
The ND House of Representatives recently passed HB#1144 which is now under consideration by the Senate. This bill includes that male and female bathrooms cannot share a communal sink or entry area! The bill covers all current and future construction AND all existing school buildings!
In the 1950s Devils Lake School District built three new elementary schools. At this time no estimate of costs to update those 8 family bathrooms in the 3 schools is available school officials state. In addition one of the elementary schools is currently slated for a new addition [Prairie View], school officials estimate the cost of changing the plans to eliminate communal sinks will cost $150,000!
According to a ND Council of Educational Leaders survey there are 131 ND schools with over 650 communal sinks! And, this survey just started! The mid-range cost estimate for the work is $147,500,000! This figure does not take into account facilities built before 1980 which would have to be brought up to ADA standards (which could add 50-100% to cost estimates).
Mike Connor, Devils Lake, ND
Dear Legislators:
I would like clarification of ND HB#1144 which apparently forbids communal sinks in schools…..Devils Lake Public Schools has two elementary schools that were built in the early 1950s which have communal sinks and now one of them is having an update which will involve additional sinks of the same type in the new addition….I have been informed by the Devils Lake Superintendent of Schools that this law could add an additional $150,000 cost to the new construction plus force updating of the existing sink areas in both Prairie View and Minnie H schools (an unknown cost at this time!)
I am all in favor of only two genders (male & female) being used in bathroom facilities, but in the case of sinks firmly believe you are pushing the envelope too far and will only create backlash from the taxpayer for causing unnecessary expense!
As President Trump said it so well last week….. “….use some common sense”!
I look forward to hearing from each of you with your comments and plans to reverse this waste of taxpayer dollars.
Mike Connor, Devils Lake, ND
Both letters verified by phone, Feb. 17, 2025 – LAO
