Local school districts work to comply with mandate for free period products
Sep. 28—Norwich Free Academy senior Cathleen Mai eagerly volunteered last week to help lead NFA's education campaign to roll out the new state mandate that schools provide access to free menstrual period products to students in bathrooms.
"I'm passionate about period poverty," Mai, 17, of Norwich, said Wednesday, referring to the term for families who struggle to pay for menstrual period products.
Two years ago, Mai led a project with fellow members of Project Outreach, NFA's largest student service group, to make fabric period pads for women and girls in countries in Africa, allowing them to attend school and leave their homes more freely during periods.
This year, Mai, senior Lorena Almanzar, 17, of Norwich and junior Ava Houghton, 16, of Preston, will lead NFA's education campaign on period products. They will make posters, prepare discussions during weekly student community meetings and create videos to explain that the products will be free in bathrooms, rather than just at the medical center and house offices.
Almanzar, whose first language is Spanish, offered to make a video and posters in Spanish as well.
"This project will impact every student in this school," Houghton said Wednesday. "Even though they shouldn't feel ashamed, some students are embarrassed to have to ask for them. Having them in the bathrooms will take that away."
State law takes effect this year
This fall, school districts are gearing up to implement a new state law requiring them to place menstrual period products in all girls' bathrooms for students in grades three through 12, in all gender-neutral bathrooms and in at least one boys' bathroom.
Connecticut is one of a growing number of states making free period products more accessible to students. Connecticut lawmakers and advocates said the law helps students in financially struggling families obtain the necessary products.
Advocates also hope the law reduces absenteeism for girls who worry about not having easy access to products at school.
At the Kelly STEAM Magnet Middle School in Norwich, newly elected student council members, eighth graders Dawa Dolma, 13, and Carolina Collazo, 13, welcomed the new law. They said it would help students feel comfortable seeing the products and discussing the topic.
The students pointed out that it's especially important to expand access to period products, because students are not allowed to carry backpacks and purses. Eighth-grade Dean Jessie Frease, student council coordinator, said the prohibition on backpacks and purses is part of the crackdown on cellphones in classrooms.
"It's really nice that schools have feminine products," Dolma said. "Some students don't have them, or they forgot to bring them."
Putting the products in gender-neutral bathrooms and one boys' room will improve access for biological females who identify as male, state officials said, and it helps all boys become familiar with the presence and need for the products.
Janet Stolfi-Alfano, CEO of The Diaper Bank of Connecticut, which also is the state chapter of the national Alliance for Period Supplies, said they should be seen as no different than toilet paper, paper towels and soap dispensers in bathrooms.
"Period supplies. Half the population needs them, so let's talk about it," Stolfi-Alfano said.
State Rep. Christine Conley, D-Groton, who championed the bill in 2020 on behalf of then-high school students at Ledyard High School, said it's just as important for boys to become familiar with the issue.
"Boys have sisters and mothers," she said.
The NFA Project Outreach leaders said they want to enlist a boy to help with the education campaign at their school.
Almanzar said it could be very uncomfortable for a biological female who identifies as a male to enter a girls' room or ask for a product at an office, especially if others are present.
State Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, said she has heard some pushback about the new law, mainly because of the cost to school districts and some opposition to the provision to stock products in boys' bathrooms. She said mainly, the complaints have pertained to stocking elementary boys' rooms.
She said the bill was revised from an earlier version that would have required more boys bathrooms to be stocked, rather than the one boys' room in the final version. Some opponents questioned the necessity, since schools routinely provided the products in nurses' and other offices.
"That bill was brought to the legislature by young girls advocating for this, talking about period poverty, saying there are many young girls not able to purchase the products," Somers said.
The bill passed the Public Health Committee on March 25, 2022, on a 20-9 vote. Somers, a member of the committee, was absent.
Students lobbied for new law
Rep. Conley said students in a Ledyard High School civics project approached legislators to lobby for free access to period products to end the stigma surrounding the topic and to help low-income families obtain the necessary products.
The Alliance for Period Products reported that nine states, including Connecticut, now require free period products in schools with some funding provided. Another 10 states, including Rhode Island, require period products but provide no funding. Eight more states have grants available for districts wishing to provide products.
"It's important to know that the students found themselves without products," Conley said of Connecticut's effort. "It would be nice if everyone had everything they needed, brought from home; but the reality is, kids were missing school, and absenteeism is a big concern."
Stolfi-Alfano admired the students who spoke up about a traditionally taboo topic.
"We worked with a lot of high schoolers, who were very involved in championing this," Stolfi-Alfano said. "It's amazing watching 16-year-olds testify about their periods. Even 10 years ago, I would have never had the courage to do that."
The state legislature approved the bill in 2022 and extended the start date to Sept. 1 at the request of school districts who asked for more time.
Districts budgeted the costs in local budgets
Local school districts vary in their implementation plans, as they purchase dispensers and products. They can choose to use metal dispensers, baskets or wall-mounted folders in low-traffic areas. And they need to select a boys' room for products.
The legislature appropriated $2 million over two years, using a portion of the state's federal American Rescue Plan Act grant, to help supply schools with significant low-income populations. The state contracted with The Diaper Bank for $1.95 million to distribute period products to about 300 federally designated Title 1 schools with low-income populations.
The eligible schools will receive five period products per female student per month, Stolfi-Alfano said. The Diaper Bank was still contacting Title 1 schools in mid-September to plan deliveries quarterly to each school, starting with 115 schools in early October. Another 50 schools will receive supplies in November.
Several school districts, even those with Title 1 schools, budgeted for the new mandate last spring, before they were contacted by The Diaper Bank.
Groton Public Schools is ahead of many districts, already providing free period products in nurses' offices and female bathrooms, Superintendent Susan Austin said. Funded in the facilities budget, the district has spent $3,000 so far this year, she said.
"We've expanded that availability, in compliance with the mandate, by installing product dispensers in bathrooms at both Groton Middle School and Fitch High School," Austin said. "This initiative began last year and was completed this past summer."
Denise Doolittle, Groton director of pupil personnel services, said the school district recently learned Groton's four Title 1 schools can receive products from The Diaper Bank.
New London Public Schools budgeted $78,000 this year for menstrual supplies, Superintendent Cynthia Ritchie said. Before this year, pads and tampons were only available at nurses' offices.
New London Executive Director of District Facilities and Operations Miguel Gautier said dispensers have been placed in high school and middle restrooms and will be added to elementary schools.
Gautier said he was surprised at the cost. He said the bigger supply companies charge $300 to $380 per dispenser, up to $90 for a case of 500 tampons and $53 for 250 pads.
"We ended up going to Amazon and paying $25 for each of the 100 dispensers we needed and went to BJ's for our products," Gautier said. "But we have no idea how to gauge how quickly the products will be used. Will students take a whole bunch at a time? Flush them down the toilet? We don't know the final cost."
New London learned last week The Diaper Bank will supply city schools with products. Gautier said the local money saved will be used to replace any damaged dispensers with more sturdy units.
"We'll keep the products we've already bought, about two months' worth, in reserve," Gautier said.
Ritchie said there's been no pushback from students or parents over the new law, but said the "unfunded mandate" costs remain a concern.
"We do not have additional funds to use once our supply of products runs out," Ritchie said. "We are hopeful that the state or private funders will be able to assist us, and other school districts."
Local districts reported no vandalism or mass disappearance of products thus far.
Norwich Public Schools budgeted $50,000 this year using the state estimate of five products per month per female student. Dispensers and products have been placed in the two middle schools, and Norwich expects to receive supplies from The Diaper Bank in October for the seven elementary schools, Acting Superintendent Susan Lessard said.
Norwich facilities director Matt Brown said the district spent $6,509 to purchase 20 dispensaries for the middle schools, and about $1,500 for period products.
Norwich Free Academy previously provided free period products at the campus' four house offices and at the medical center. NFA spokesman Michael O'Farrell said NFA has 17 female bathrooms and seven gender neutral bathrooms that now will get supplies.
The academy plans to stock a boys' bathroom in the high-traffic Slater atrium with a basket of products. Based on the state guidance, NFA will need 9,000 products per month, 4,500 pads and 4,500 tampons, costing just under $2,000 per month, O'Farrell said.
NFA does not qualify for Title 1 funding, but as many of the school's students come from Title 1-eligible districts, NFA has asked to be added as a state grant product distribution.
Montville Public Schools is likewise still working on its rollout of products. Superintendent Dianne Vumback said Montville budgeted $8,000 for products.
"We are awaiting some dispensers and baskets and are finalizing our implementation strategy," Vumback.
Stonington Superintendent Mary Anne Butler said the district is in compliance with "the new unfunded mandate." Butler said the legislature had best intentions with the law but did not consider the impact on local schools, especially the added cost.
"I urge legislators to reconsider the specific mandates in this statute and to trust the local school districts to implement the intent of this legislation with the practical, fiscal, and safety considerations that this law failed to adequately address," Butler wrote in an email.
Day staff writers John Penney, Kim Drelich and Daniel Drainville contributed to this report.
