In 2022, Austin ISD launched a district-wide initiative with a clear goal: students would have one fewer essential school supplies to worry about.

The district invested around $85,000 to install dispensers for free sanitary pads and tampons in middle and high school restrooms, aiming to eliminate the anxiety and stigma surrounding menstruation.

However, three years later, students at Akins High School say the reality looks much different. Between empty restroom dispensers and the bureaucratic hurdles of Texas Senate Bill 12 (SB 12), obtaining basic hygiene products has become increasingly difficult.

Now, seniors Michelle Garza and Briana Seaman are launching a “Speak Up, Speak Out” civics project to advocate for a solution.

The “Empty Box” Reality

For Seaman, the inspiration to act came from witnessing the struggle in the school restrooms.

“I looked around, and I see my friends complain, or I see that the nurse doesn’t have a basket outside her door anymore, or the boxes are empty,” Seaman said. “I hear girls shout sometimes while I’m washing my hands, ‘Does anybody have a pad?’ And then I realize it is something that we need as much as we need toilet paper.”

While the 2022 initiative was intended to save students money and stress, the dispensers in Akins restrooms currently sit empty. According to Garza and Seaman, administrators have cited concerns over budget constraints and potential vandalism as reasons for not restocking the stalls.

“She said that there’s nothing in them because people would vandalize it,” Garza said, recalling a conversation with the administration. “And that makes you think, why would a woman vandalize something of her own health needs?”

The SB 12 Challenge

The problem is worsened by SB 12, a state law requiring parental consent for students to receive medical treatment or medication at school. This law has caused confusion over what school nurses can provide without a signed form on file.

Principal Carman DeLeon acknowledged the complexity the new law has introduced.

“That’s been an interesting one because with a new (law) and the requirements for the nurse to get that filled out… it’s a big challenge,” DeLeon said.

Previously, nurses often left baskets of supplies available for students to take discreetly. Now, those resources are restricted. School nurse Fallon Rhoade said “requested all staff pick up supplies when able, so students are supported when they have a need,” but many staff members reportedly remain unaware of this directive.

“I feel like the SB 12 law, a lot of people didn’t even know that there was a paper required that you had to sign to be able to receive help from the nurse,” Garza said. “If we’re required to be in an educational building, then the nurse should be able to help us regardless if we signed a consent form or not.”

Data Driven Advocacy

To show that this is a widespread issue, Garza and Seaman conducted a survey as part of their civics project.

“It just makes you think, why is it that a place where a student is forced to be… for the entire day, most of the week, does not have the supply of menstrual products?” Seaman asked. “It proves that the district doesn’t care.”

Garza noted that the lack of access has a direct impact on attendance and education.

“In my freshman year, I would go home nearly every single month… because the cramps were just so bad, and there was no help I could get on campus,” Garza said. “My education got impacted since I had to leave a lot.”

Seeking Solutions

Garza and Seaman are proposing a pilot program to restock the restrooms on a trial basis to test whether vandalism actually occurs. They argue that high school students are mature enough to handle the resources responsibly.

“I feel like people would be more grateful to have access to menstrual products in the restrooms instead of having to ask their teachers,” Garza said.

Beyond logistics, the seniors aim to tackle the stigma surrounding menstruation. They plan to visit middle schools in January to educate younger students and are pushing for a cultural shift where male students also understand that menstruation is a normal bodily function.

“I feel like a little bit in the perfect world, nobody would have issues in this period,” Seaman said. “But it is obviously something that everybody deals with, whether they want to or not.”