ROCKLEDGE, Fla. – Brevard Public Schools shared pictures inside its supply warehouse with pallets of masks, gloves, wipes, hand sanitizer and more personal protective equipment that the district said is headed to every school by Friday.
The district said to this point, all schools have at least received some of the personal protective equipment and supplies they’ve ordered.
Fearing the district's supplies might not have made it before the first day, the Brevard County teachers union said it ordered its own PPE for teachers.
"Because our teachers need it now," Brevard Federation of Teachers Second Vice President Jonathan Hilliard said.
Message 3 of 3: We want to acknowledge all of our staff who have worked tirelessly to serve the children and families of our community. Together, we will get through this as #OneBrevard. pic.twitter.com/8ayhUwp0Ig
— Brevard Schools (@BrevardSchools) August 18, 2020
Sealed with their names, inside envelopes at the union's offices in Rockledge were 500 masks for teachers like Lucha Hunt.
“It’s going to be quite a challenging year but we are going to do our best,” Hunt said. She teaches Spanish at Rockledge High School.
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Rockledge High is one of 43 schools the district said is getting its shipment of supplies Wednesday.
Hunt said she previously worried the supplies might not get to her school in time for the first day.
“Oh, absolutely had it not been for the job that the union has done for the teachers to make sure that we were provided the masks, to make sure that it was a mandate also for the students to wear their masks,” she said.
School begins in Brevard County Aug. 24.