Southern Indiana school district allows water bottles in class starting Sept. 1

NEW PEKIN, Ind. (WDRB) — Starting Monday, students at East Washington Middle School will be able to have water bottles in the classroom.

Right now, the southern Indiana school district doesn't allow some students to bring water bottles to class. It depends on which grade they're in.

The East Washington School Corporation is changing its rules starting Sept. 1. This comes after one family said their son came home dehydrated several times.

"As a parent, it's kind of upsetting," Joshua Roberts said Thursday.

Roberts' son Colton is a 7th grader in Pekin, Indiana.

Colton is less than a month into the school year. However, Roberts said sometimes he comes home facing heat-induced headaches and dehydration.

Colton cannot keep water at his desk, according to school policy. Students at East Washington Middle School have to visit water fountains in breaks or raise their hand to leave class.

Roberts believes this takes precious time away from learning.

"Especially in a world where we are doing e-learning, the teachers and the student ratios can be sometimes big, or they have a lot to cover," he said. "They really need to be engaged, especially in a 45-minute class period."

Roberts said he's emailed school leaders several times over the past year, pressing them to update their policy. Instead, he said they asked for a doctor's note.

"I just insisted that they didn't need a medical diagnosis to drink water," Roberts said. "They insisted that it was for an exception to policy."

In a statement, superintendent Rebecca Jones said the rules around water bottles are not consistent across the district. While middle schoolers currently can't bring them to class, elementary and high school students can.

"I think we should be fair across the board," Roberts said.

Superintendent Rebecca Jones sent WDRB the following statement, saying change is coming:

"The East Washington School Corporation received a parent inquiry regarding middle school students' access to water during the school day. The School Corporation has conducted a thorough review of the middle school's water bottle practices. Through this review, the School Corporation learned that the middle school was the only building in the corporation following this practice. To promote consistency across our schools, the School Corporation will revise the middle school's water bottle policy and expectations.

"Beginning September 1, 2026, EWMS students may carry water bottles throughout the school day, subject to reasonable guidelines that will be communicated to students and families. These expectations will provide students with appropriate access to water while allowing teachers and administrators to maintain an orderly learning environment."

"Washington County, Indiana, is very rural," Roberts said. "They rarely deal with incidents of violence or fighting or things like that. I think it is a bigger distraction for a child to have to raise their hand and leave class to get the water."