CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Shannon Haber, 213-393-1289 June 15, 2020
Los Angeles Unified and Los Angeles Charter Public Schools
Announce Purchasing Pact for Affordable PPE
Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner and the Los Angeles independent charter school community, represented by Los Angeles Advocacy Council’s (LAAC) Co-chairs Marcia Aaron, CEO of KIPP SoCal and Carrie Wagner, Founder of the Girls Athletic Leadership School, (GALS), issued the following statement:
“To prepare for the reopening of our schools within the next 10 weeks, Los Angeles Unified and the Los Angeles charter school community have agreed to a purchasing pact to save money on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other safety precautions.
“While state officials recently announced state agencies will assist schools in procuring necessary PPE for students and staff, no details have been provided on the timing and process for securing the supplies we will need. Since it is not guaranteed the state’s support will be sufficient and arrive in time for the reopening of schools, we have joined forces to explore possible solutions and outline a common purchasing strategy regarding PPE and other necessary materials.
“We do not want to spend funds on PPE when that money should be going toward the education of our students. Because the health of our students and staff is paramount, we do not have the luxury of waiting for the CDE to explain how they plan to fund the 55 pages of guidelines they have issued for reopening. We must continue to prepare the best that we can, and that is what we will do.”