CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Waukegan school board has voted to spend more than a half a million dollars to buy barriers that will go on the desks of students and teachers whenever there’s a return to in-person instruction.
The Waukegan District 60 school board voted this week to spend up to $533,000 in COVID-relief funds to buy the desk barriers and mobile dividers.
Five board members voted in favor of the purchase. Board member Lucy Leguizamo did not. She questioned how effective the barriers would be and even whether they'd be used if students don't return to classrooms until the coronavirus threat is over.
Leguizamo pointed out that, even if in-person instruction resumes before that, students and teachers would all be breathing the same air and wearing masks.
"You’re in a classroom setting and you have these dividers between students and maybe one teacher's desk. Is this more of a placebo?" she said.
Board member Jeff McBride believes they’ll be worthwhile.
"I see them in grocery stores. I see them in offices," McBride said.
Superintendent Theresa Plascencia indicated other school districts are also buying desk barriers.
"We are doing everything to ensure that our students and our community and our teachers stay safe, feel safe," she said.
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The board will decide at a later date how many desk barriers to buy since the school district does not yet know how many students will opt-in for in-person instruction once it’s offered.
Waukegan School District 60’s nearly 17,000 students will continue to learn remotely at least until the middle of January. The district has pre-schoolers through high schoolers.
The board voted to spend $485,000 for the desk barriers and mobile dividers and added 10 percent to that for shipping expenses for a maximum total of a little more than $533,000. The barriers are being bought from ELB US Inc, which is located in Bolingbrook.