When a water main near Holabird STEM Middle School broke on Friday, students with a bathroom emergency apparently had two options: hold it or use a bucket. That directive appeared to come from the principal in a screenshot that swirled on social media.

“If there’s a student who has a severe bathroom issue, please send them to the 4 corners where we’ll have a bucket they can use inside the bathroom,” said the screenshot of the email signed by Principal Yalonda Booker. “Please do not give any student a pass unless it’s an emergency.”

But Baltimore County Public Schools officials quickly made clear that’s not how they do things. In a message sent to families, which school system officials shared with The Banner, using buckets falls outside of the district’s “acceptable practices.” Families were reassured students can use the restroom as normal.

The school system declined a request for comment on Booker’s behalf.

A water main break in Dundalk sent students at General John Stricker Middle School home early and canceled after-school activities. Students at Holabird Middle, 2 miles away, were kept in school. The letter to parents stated the building experienced low water pressure that improved in an hour with no impact on operations or class.

The message that “allegedly included instructions for student restroom use during the brief outage” warranted an investigation, Sam Mustipher, executive director of schools, wrote to families.

“The school system does not utilize buckets in schools for student-use,” Mustipher wrote. “We understand that the information that has been shared with members of the community has caused concern, and we will follow all applicable processes and protocols to investigate and address this matter.”

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.