A contract for the purchase of additional air purification units was amended by the Board of Trustees during their Nov. 15 meeting.

The Board of Trustees (BOT) agreed to amend the contract in order to reevaluate the priorities of El Camino College’s federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds going towards additional air purification units for new buildings on campus.

The portable air purification units around campus are meant to further prevent airborne contaminated particles, viruses and pollutants from being transferred indoors, which is a common concern with the COVID-19 virus.

The BOT approved a purchase for the first batch of air purification units during their June 21, 2021 meeting.

El Camino College Classified Employees (ECCE) and the Facilities Department recommended for the Board to approve an additional 400 units to prepare for the winter 2021 and spring 2022 sessions back on campus.

While adding more air purification units could help to offer more protection against COVID-19, the BOT offered counterarguments to amend their vote of approval on the current contract.

The BOT were unanimous in their decision, comparing the state of El Camino College now to where it was when the first order of purification units were purchased during the summer, before the vaccine mandate was approved on Sep. 7.

“The world has changed, the district has changed and the context in which they [ECCE] are operating, so we are happy to take it back for an additional conversation with ECCE and the requesting parties,” President Brenda Thames said.