The design of the locker rooms in the new gymnasium in the Akron School District's $25

million capital project raised privacy issues that prompted questions from the school board

Wednesday.

The vestibule-style entrances from both the gymnasium and a hallway are at the center of

the male and female locker rooms, which could offer a glimpse of students moving from the

showers on one side to the locker areas on the other.

As a result, privacy screens will be be installed at the interior end of the vestibule

entrances, at a cost of about $1,000 each, according to David Vawter of LP Ciminelli, project

managers.

Schools Superintendent Robin B. Zymroz said the cost will come from the contingency

account, which totals about $535,000 with nine months left until completion of the project.

When several board members asked why the entrances were designed that way, representatives

of project architects, Wendel Duchscherer, said the center entrance was the best configuration

for the space needed for the required number of showers and lockers.

The entrances from both the gym and hallway have automatic closing doors, but board members

Kevin Stone and Patricia Buckley said you could not count on staff monitoring them to be sure

they are not held open.

"You have to have the screens," Board member Timothy Morgan said.

"The first time a person looks in there and sees a naked kid we're going to have a problem,"

Stone added.