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Reports of clogged bathrooms, lack of soap raise concerns for DCPS employees, parents of Ribault HS students

First Coast News learned the Health Department visited the school Thursday and found complaints were valid.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public School employees and parents of children at Ribault High School are raising concerns over the conditions of the student bathrooms.

Pictures sent to First Coast News show clogged toilets and no paper towels and soap. One employee says the lack of supplies is nothing new.

"I'm tired of fighting for my students and I am tired of listening to them cry for help and ask for help and be turned down and turned away," said an employee who asked not to be identified. 

The employee says school staff have personally paid for and supplied their students with toilet paper and soap because the bathrooms don't have any.

"It makes me sick to go to work every day," the employee said.

Parents say they are also frustrated, having raised concerns with the school.  

"I believe that putting it out there gets results," said parent Virginia Robinson-Witzke. We need results. Not next week.  Right now."

Her daughter is a senior at Ribault High School and is concerned the unsanitary conditions could lead to the spread of diseases.

"No kids should be getting hepatitis from the school because we have lack of care," she said. "Being sanitary is very important."

The Florida Department of Health in Duval County visited the school Thursday and found deficiencies - many student bathrooms didn't have soap.

We're told DCPS will meet with the janitorial crew to make improvements. 

Ribault's principal, Dr. Gregory D. Bostic,  tells us, "We strive to maintain clean restrooms and restroom supplies by having our custodial staff inspect the restrooms continuously throughout the day in addition to cleaning and sanitizing at the beginning and end of each day."

But the DCPS employee we spoke with says they rarely see the janitors and hopes the district fixes what he calls major gaps in cleanliness.

"Parents told me that they are just disgusted with it and they can't trust that their kids aren't going to come home with some bacteria," the employee said. 

The health department inspects all DCPS bathrooms once a year but if there are complaints, the health department will revisit the school.

A health department spokesperson said there have not been any Hepatitis A cases that have resulted from students using the bathrooms at Ribault.

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