A new Colorado law requires middle and high schools in the state to provide free period products in girls' bathrooms by 2028.
Gov. Jared Polis made it official with his signature last week.
takes effect over several phases, with 25% compliance by 2025 and increases in percentage each year.
The Colorado Sun Reporter Tatiana Flowers spoke with KUNC's Michael Lyle, Jr. about
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"I spoke to the superintendent for Garfield County School District 16, and that has about 1,200 students from Parachute and Battlement Mesa," said Flowers. "Last year, that school district received $4,200 through the grant program that funds these period products for schools that apply and are selected. This particular school district said (it) already spent all that money, so the schools' bathrooms will be stocked with those leftovers next year."
Flowers said that so far, 34 school districts across the state have adopted this policy while some have stated their opposition to the law.
"Some rural school districts oppose this law, or this bill when it was introduced, because they were worried about being able to afford period products," said Flowers. "I know that school leaders in Denver spent almost $20,000 on period products and dispensers for more than 800 bathrooms in 2022. And in 2023, the school district spent just over $17,000 to provide period products to students for free."
According to the nonprofit a student on average will use about seven period products provided by their school per school year. Each product costs about 25 cents but under the new bill the schools will now work to make sure there is no shortage.
