Students at a high school in Wisconsin are upset about their district's new electronic pass system that limits the number of times a student can use the bathroom during the school day and week.
The new ePass system at Arrowhead Union High School, located in a suburb of Milwaukee, functions as an electronic hall pass that students must use to take bathroom breaks during school hours.
Students are restricted to three bathroom visits per day and seven total visits per week.
Watch: Only 7 bathroom trips per week, Arrowhead students question limits on new ePass
"I feel like this system should not have been implemented," said JP Moen, an Arrowhead student who recently addressed the school board about the issue.
Moen, a cross-country athlete, said the system penalizes him for staying hydrated for his sport.
"Say I drank a lot of water that day, and I try to go to the bathroom two periods in a row, you can't go. It's messed up," Moen said.
The system also limits how many students can check out passes simultaneously, creating additional barriers for bathroom access.
"You only get three a day and seven a week, and if you are having extenuating circumstances, it doesn't matter, you literally can't go to the bathroom," said another student, Gabi Eggers.
Student Mariela Scarpaci described how crowded conditions further complicate bathroom access.
"If there is a line, I'm just like I will wait, and I end up not going to the bathroom all day," Scarpaci said.
The Arrowhead Schools superintendent defended the ePass system in a statement, saying it "ensures safety, maximizes student learning, encourages responsibility and minimizes inappropriate behavior."
The superintendent added that the district provides accommodations to students who need extra passes or additional time.
However, Arrowhead is not alone in implementing electronic bathroom pass systems. Both Pewaukee Schools and the Waukesha School District use similar technology.
The Waukesha School District said this is its second year using the system, and that it works effectively.
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This story was originally published by Rebecca Klopf with the Scripps News Group in Milwaukee.
