By Greta Serrin
Updated: 12:46 PM PST Dec 21, 2021 Source: KCRA 3 Photo Source: Unsplash, Thought Catalog
Stanislaus County school district says it won’t enforce state’s vaccine mandate.
The district said it is petitioning state officials to downgrade the vaccine requirement to a recommendation. STANISLAUS COUNTY, Calif. —The Oakdale Joint Unified School District will not be enforcing the state’s vaccine mandate for students and staff, according to a recently passed resolution. The decision was passed in a 4-1 vote at a school board meeting on Dec. 13. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the nation’s first coronavirus vaccination mandate for schoolchildren in October. It requires all elementary through high school students to get the shots once the vaccine gains full use authorization from the U.S. government for different age groups.
The district said it is petitioning state officials to downgrade the vaccine requirement to a recommendation. It is asking the state to allow local school districts to work with its health officials to determine independent COVID-19 safety guidelines.
“Oakdale Joint Unified School District supports local control and decision making,” the document said. It went on to say it has operated in-person learning in a safe way without vaccines this semester. The district has had a total of 377 COVID-19 cases to date, according to the district’s website. There are 5,809 total students and staff at their schools.
So far, Pfizer’s shot is the only one that is fully approved for people ages 16 and up. The Pfizer vaccine is operating under the emergency-use authorization for anyone 5 to 15 years old.
School staff right now can be vaccinated or get tested, but once the state mandate becomes effective staff will be held to the same requirement as students to become fully vaccinated.
Right now, about 35% of district employees are unvaccinated, according to the document. The district said it struggles to find qualified employees already, and the vaccine requirement will likely create more open jobs.
Since Newsom’s announcement, hundreds of parents, teachers and students have demonstrated at the state capitol to protest the vaccine mandate.
Several other school districts have also taken a stand against the requirement, stating that they will not enforce it.
The Lodi Unified School District met last week to consider a new resolution against the mandate as well. Many board members said they support the resolution, but they also said they will still follow any rules from the state and county. They say it is their responsibility to protect the district’s finances.
But the parents who spoke at the meeting hope the board stands firm against vaccine mandates. Previously, the Department of Education told KCRA 3 there will be consequences for districts that do not enforce the mandate, explaining that schools could lose out on funding when annual audits are performed.
The vaccine requirement for schools could take effect in July. Health experts and federal officials say vaccination is the number one way to protect against coronavirus infection.
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