Portland Public Schools staff must be vaccinated by Aug. 31
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 18, 2021
- Jason Lee Elementary School substitute teacher Sarah Lewins helps Mintwob Mintwab properly put on her mask at the start of the first day of in-person, hybrid learning in spring 2021. Portland Public Schools announced all staff will be required to be vaccinated before the start of the 2021-22 school year.
All Portland Public Schools staff will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of August, or face regular testing, the district announced Wednesday, Aug. 18.
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Previously, district leadership said they were “encouraging” all staff, along with eligible students, to get vaccinated. The new requirement was agreed to by both the Portland Association of Teachers and the Portland Federation of School Professionals.
The vaccine requirement comes amid record-breaking COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state, weeks before Portland students are slated to go back to school full-time in-person.
“Vaccination is our most powerful tool to get our students back to in-person learning, and restore the interaction and personal connection that is such a crucial part of learning,” said Elizabeth Thiel, President of the Portland Association of Teachers. “While the vast majority of PAT members are already vaccinated, this mandate is an important step toward ensuring that everyone in our school communities is vaccinated, if they are able to be.”
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Those who are unable to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to health reasons will be exempt from the requirement. Those who don’t provide proof of vaccination by Aug. 31 will have to undergo regular testing until they submit documentation, according to PPS.
While Gov. Kate Brown mandated masks be worn at all K-12 school settings, she stopped short of mandating vaccines for school employees. The governor left the decision up to local districts.
“Parents can rest assured that our school system is exercising every available lever, including the requirement of vaccines and masks and the implementation of other health and safety measures, to protect every PPS student, our employees and our Portland community,” said PPS Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero.
PPS students go back to school Sept. 1, with kindergartners going back Sept. 8.