Palm Beach Co., Treasure Coast schools spending millions on coronavirus costs for fall school year

School districts from Palm Beach to the Treasure Coast are spending millions on PPE and equipment for virtual learning while getting ready for the coming school year.

SCHOOL SYSTEMS SPEND MILLIONSEVERY YEAR ON EVERYTHING FROMTEACHERSCHOOL BUSES.

AND THIS YEAR,THEREERSONALBUSES.

AND THIS YEAR,PROTECTION EQUIPMENT.

CONTACTFIVE INVESTIGATOR DAVE BOHMANTAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT HOWDISTRICTS ARE SHELLING OUT BMONEY IN THE NAME OF SAFETY<< A WAREHOUSE FULL OFPERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT.BARRELS OF HAND SANITIZERLIQUID& BOXES OF FACE MASKS,THERMOMETERS AND MORE WILLSOON BE DOLED OUT TO SCHOOACROSS ST.

LUCIE COUNTY.“W’VE NEVER, EVEN AT MY AGE,IPANDEMIC” HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERNICOLETTE OWENS WILL BE HEADEDBACK TO CLASS IN ABOUT AMONTH.

CONTACT FIVE FINDSPERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTNOW, A SIZABLE CHUNK OF SCHOOLSYSTEM BUDGETS.

INDIAN RIVERCOUNTY SET ASIDE MORE THAN$78,000 ($78,674.99) FORPERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENTALONE& MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOLSSPENT 1.4 MILLION DOLLARS ONWHAT IT CALLS COVID RELATEDEXPENDITURES, BUT DOES NOTBREAK DOWN HOW MUCH OF*THATGETS SPENT ON P-P-E.OKEECHOBEE SCHOOLS DID NOTPROVIDE CONTACT 5 WITH MONEYSPENT FOR PERSONAL PROTECTIONEQUIPMENT.

PALM BEACH COUNTYALLOTTED $5.6*MILLIO*($5,614,816) FOR STUDENTS ANDSTAFF - EVEN THOUGH ALL KIDSARE EXPECTED TO START THESCHOOL YEAR LEARNINGVIRTUALLY.

WE'RE AWATINGNUMBERS FROM OKEECHOBEECOUNTY.

ST.

LUCIE COUNTYSCHOOLS BUDGETED MORE THAN$380,000 ($385,327.88) THATENOUGH TO PAY THE SALARIES OSEVEN TEACHERS& NICOLETTEOWENS HOPES IT'S ENOUGH TOPROTECT TEACHERS HEADED BACKTO THE CLASSROOM.“TEACHERSJUST WANT TO BE SURE ITGOING TO BE SAFE FOR TEACHERS,AND ITOUR STUDENTS”“TEACHERS WETALKED WITH SAY THEYCAUTIOUSLY TRUST THE SCHOOSYSTEM ADMINISTRATION WILLSPEND ENOUGH MONEY ON PERSONALPROTECTION EQUIPMENT TO KEEPEVERYONE SAFE WHEN SCHOOLOPENS.

THEY SAY THEYSAFER IF THE NUMBERS OF NEWCASES, AND DEATHS FROM COVID19 STARTS TO DROP BEFORECLASSES BEGIN.

IN PORT ST.LUCIE, DAVE BOHMAN, WPTVNEWSCHANNEL 5.