$21 MILLION URGED FOR BATHROOMS.

Byline: Helen Gao Staff Writer

Los Angeles schools Superintendent Roy Romer on Wednesday proposed flushing $21 million down the district's toilets - but for a good cause.

In response to a TV news segment about filthy school restrooms, Romer announced the district will invest $10 million to repair and upgrade stalls and $11 million more to restore maintenance, which was cut by nearly 40 percent four years ago.

``We have a responsibility to keep these bathrooms clean. We are going to get this done,'' he said. ``This is one of the highest priorities now.''

Under Romer's six-point initiative, every middle and high school has produced a site map with information about the location and hours of each student bathroom.

The district has also established schedules for bathrooms to be cleaned overnight and restocked with soap and paper supplies three times a day.

School plant managers are to take a daily inventory of restroom fixtures each day and place calls for repairs. Students, teachers and administrators are urged to call the district's clean bathroom hotline at [phone].

The superintendent is also asking district staff members to make a point of checking on school restrooms whenever they visit a campus.

Romer's announcement came after a recent investigation by KCBS-TV (Channel 2), which showed unsanitary conditions at nearly 50 public school restrooms. The featured restrooms had blocked toilets and lacked hand-washing soap, paper towels and toilet paper.

A story by the Daily News in 1999 found that the district lacked enough custodians to keep student restrooms clean.

Since the TV report aired, local and state lawmakers have threatened new regulations to punish the district for health violations.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich has asked the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to develop a policy to inspect public school restrooms. The department is scheduled to make a presentation in front of the Board of Supervisors next week.

Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Montebello, also has introduced a bill urging the state to make known its current regulations regarding public school restroom maintenance and repair.