The Oregon State Board of Education on Monday rejected a petition from a Southern Oregon mom who sought to change the implementation of a 2021 law that mandates period products in all K-12 bathrooms, including bathrooms for boys as young as 5.
Oregon’s Menstrual Dignity Act went into full effect at the beginning of the current school year. It also covers community colleges and public universities, although the petition sought to change only the rules in K-12 schools.
Cherylene Stritenberg of Medford, who is also an Eagle Point School District board member, wanted to narrow the state rules that period products go in all school bathrooms and instead go in “at least” two bathrooms at each school, arguing that would save schools money.
Stritenberg submitted her petition as an individual on June 23, when many school districts were already moving ahead with buying and installing dispensers for free tampons and maxi pads for students. Supporters of the law said it would ensure no student who menstruates, including transgender boys, lacked free access to period products.
Stritenberg’s petition initiated a public comment period in July that drew about 240 responses. The comments skewed nearly four to one in favor of limiting the scope of the effort.
“My petition doesn’t prevent a district from putting as many tampons in as many bathrooms as they see fit for their district; it just wouldn’t require all districts to do so,” Stritenberg said in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive before the vote.
The state education board voted unanimously to reject the petition. Guadalupe Martinez Zapata, chair of the board, said changing the implementation of House Bill 3294 would go against legislative intent.
Stritenberg said she wasn’t surprised by the outcome. “It doesn’t mean I’m done,” she said.
Her next step is to push to change the law through the Legislature, she said.
The requirement to supply free period products in all K-12 bathrooms is expected to cost $2.8 million per year, money that comes from the annual $4.6 billion State School Fund.
Washington and California have similar laws, but both states focus the distribution of free products at middle and high schools. California requires schools to offer tampons and pads in at least one boys’ bathroom per school. If a Washington school does not have a gender-neutral bathroom, that school must put products in at least one boys’ bathroom.
