Utah public schools to require toilet training for kindergarten enrollment

Park City School District office. Photo: TownLift // Rayne Moynahan

SALT LAKE CITY — Beginning with the 24/25 school year, Utah public schools will mandate that children be toilet trained before they can enroll in kindergarten. This decision comes after the state transitioned to full-day kindergarten classes, revealing a significant number of children not yet potty trained by the time they reach kindergarten age.

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) finalized the new rule during Thursday’s meeting. The rule codifies the requirements laid out in recently passed legislation. The rule clarifies that to be considered toilet trained, a student must be able to communicate the need to use the bathroom, use a toilet unassisted, manage their clothing, and maintain personal hygiene post-toileting. The sponsor of HB331, Rep. Douglas Welton, R-Payson, shared anecdotes of kindergarten teachers considering quitting their jobs due to the demands of assisting students with toileting, claiming it posed a significant risk and distraction from their teaching duties.

Exceptions to this rule include children with developmental delays due to a condition outlined in an Individual Education Plan or Section 504 plan, who may still enroll.

At registration, parents will be required to assure the school of their child’s toilet training status. This move garnered support from fourteen board members, with Natalie Cline abstaining from the vote due to concerns about the intimate nature of school personnel working closely with students in this capacity. The rule also allows a parent or an adult designated by the parent to assist with toilet training at school, with USBE Vice Chairwoman Molly Hart clarifying that this does not include school personnel.

School boards are now called upon to establish policies to support students who lack toilet training, including considerations for disabilities.