PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Pasco County school leaders say they are preparing to crack down on a growing problem in elementary classrooms: kindergarteners arriving at school without being potty-trained.
During Tuesday’s Pasco County School Board meeting, Superintendent John Legg said the district has seen an “alarming trend” since the COVID-19 pandemic of students entering kindergarten and even first grade unable to use the restroom independently.
“It is not the kindergarten teacher’s responsibility to be changing diapers for kindergartners,” Legg told the board.
Legg said the issue has become a major classroom distraction and an added burden on teachers during the critical first months of school. He said the district is now working on procedures that could require students who are not toilet-trained to temporarily stay home while families work on readiness skills before returning to class.
“It is not a suggestion that students can use the restroom independently,” Legg said. “It is a requirement.”
Board members said they were surprised by how widespread the issue has become. Board Chair Colleen Beaudoin said principals across the district have raised concerns about the increasing number of students arriving in diapers.
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District leaders emphasized that the discussion does not apply to students with developmental disabilities or documented delays. Legg said accommodations and specialized placements would continue for students who need additional support.
Pasco is not alone in dealing with the issue.
According to reporting by WUSF, Pinellas County Schools says it has also seen a “steady number” of kindergarten students arriving not fully potty trained and works with families on a case-by-case basis. Hernando County officials acknowledged the issue exists there as well, though district leaders said it is not as widespread.
Several Florida districts — including Sarasota, Manatee, and Hernando counties — already require parents in voluntary pre-kindergarten programs to sign forms confirming children are toilet-trained before enrollment.
Still, Pasco’s public discussion of potentially sending students home appears to be one of the strongest stances publicly taken by a Florida district at the kindergarten level.
Legg framed the issue as part of a broader conversation about parental responsibility and classroom readiness.
“We are not their parent,” he said during the meeting.
The district has not yet approved a formal policy change, but administrators said they plan to communicate restroom independence expectations to families ahead of the next school year.