MACON, Ga. — A request to purchase 25,000 desk shields for students and faculty members in the Bibb County school district was approved on February 2.
Every student and teacher will have an "ultra board barrier" on the top of their desk.
Assistant Superintendent Lori Rodgers says providing the barriers will help enforce social distancing, which should slow the spread of COVID-19 within schools.
"This is going to be an additional layer of protection. This will provide more of a barrier on the desk for the students," Rodgers said. "This will be another practice that will ensure the safety of our students and faculty."
Students attending Hutchings College and Career Academy started in-person learning back in September.
In order to make it possible, the school had to take safety measures. Providing students and teachers with desk shields was one of them.
Cassandra Washington, the CEO of Hutchings College and Career Academy, says the desk shields make class feel somewhat normal again.
"If a student wanted to pull their mask down for a second, or kind of catch their breath, they can," Washington said. "This really allows the students to be able to come to class and be able to work and it allows the teacher to be safe as well."
The district purchased the desk shields for $255,500 and they will be fully operational by March 8.