The problem is so bad, kids are spending their entire recess waiting in line to use the bathroom. Some students even have accidents.
This is according to the Casa Loma Elementary School's Site Council. It's a group made up of teachers, parents and administrators, who oversee the school's issues.
Teachers at Casa Loma Elementary School say everyday, they take students on "walking recesses". It takes 20 minutes out of instructional time, said teacher Edward Mijarez.
The "walking recess" allows children to get a drink of water and use the bathroom.
Teachers say during the 15 minute recesses, there are so many other children in line to use the bathrooms, some don't have a chance.
Mijarez has seen it first hand. "Consequently, a lot of them are wetting their pants and it's causing parent outrage," Mijarez said Wednesday.
The council has complained to the Bakersfield City School District about the overcrowding and the problems it causes, but say nothing has been done.
"Bakersfield City School District says that the child is first," said parent Kenneth Williams. "If they honestly believed that, then they would have done something to try to help us."
Since 2004, several apartment complexes have been built within the Casa Loma Boundary lines. Enrollment is at an all time high of 802 students. The council says the school was built for about 500 students.
The school district has added buildings on campus over the years and even did work for this year.
Spokesman Steve Gabbitas said over the summer, the district spent more than $800,000 on facility improvements to the school. "That's more than any other school in the district, except for the ones where we are doing reconstruction," Gabbitas said.
The district also says Casa Loma is the only school they have heard complaints from, regarding the bathroom issue. "We have six schools that are larger than Casa Loma," Gabbitas said. "Five of those have fewer restrooms than Casa Loma does."
Parents have filed a formal complaint and the district says it will have answers in December.
