|
|
|
|
|
Meeting Date:
|
8/19/2021 - 7:00 PM
|
|
Category:
|
New Business and Reports to the Board
|
|
Type:
|
Action
|
|
Subject:
|
COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing for ACPS Staff (revised 8/19)
|
|
ACPS 2025 Strategic Plan Goal:
|
Goal 2: Instructional Excellence ACPS will ensure that all students have access to and engagement with high-quality instruction. Goal 3: Student Accessibility and Support ACPS will ensure students have equitable access to and engagement with programs and supports that reduce barriers to learning. Goal 4: Strategic Resource Allocation ACPS will strategically provide differentiated resources and supports to schools and departments. Goal 5: Family and Community Engagement ACPS will ensure that all families and community members feel welcomed, respected, and valued.
|
|
Funding Source or Fiscal Impact (where applicable)
|
|
|
File Attachment:
|
|
|
Agenda Item Summary:
|
This presentation provides background for the Superintendent’s recommendation to require all employees to complete weekly COVID-19 testing or provide documentation of their fully-vaccinated status.
|
|
Background:
|
The COVID-19 case data for the City of Alexandria has been increasing, and the city is experiencing a high level of community transmission, largely due to the Delta variant. As ACPS returns to five-days a week of in-person learning, additional public health safety measures must be taken to ensure the health and safety of all staff and students. ACPS will monitor staff for the COVID-19 virus or confirm that an employee is fully vaccinated. ACPS recommends weekly testing for those employees who are not yet vaccinated and for those employees who choose not to disclose their vaccination status.
ACPS will take several steps to implement this health and safety requirement. First, all staff will participate in a mandatory vaccination status survey from Friday, August 20 to Monday August 23. Second, all employees may upload their fully-vaccinated status documentation into an employee database from August 24 to September 7. Third, beginning on September 20, those employees who do not disclose their vaccination status or who have not yet completed full vaccination, will begin the required Weekly Employee COVID-19 Testing Program. If the School Board approves the recommendation, then ACPS will provide staff with more details and information regarding weekly COVID-19 testing and vaccination documentation beginning the week of August 23-27.
|
|
Recommendation:
|
The Superintendent recommends that the School Board require weekly COVID-19 testing or voluntary documentation of COVID-19 vaccination for all employees.
|
|
Approvals:
|
|
Recommended By:
|
|
Signed By:
|
|
|
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. - Superintendent
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vote Results:
|
| Amended Motion | Member Ramee A. Gentry Moved, Member Margaret Lorber seconded to approve the Amended motion 'Madam Chair, COVID-19 continues to pose a serious health risk around the world, especially to unvaccinated individuals. Recent COVID-19 health metrics, including rising case-loads reflecting the impact of the highly contagious Delta variant, compel us to take proactive measures to protect our students, teachers and staff.
As we return to five-day a week, in-person learning in our school buildings for the 2021-22 academic year, we must come together to do our part. Therefore, Madam Chair, I move that ACPS require vaccination or weekly COVID testing for staff, in an effort to reduce transmission and exposure to COVID-19 and its variants. Staff must submit vaccination documentation by August 27. Staff who continue to not submit vaccine documentation will submit to required weekly COVID testing beginning August 30. This requirement will be added to Policy GBE: Staff Health, effective immediately, and remains in effect pending any future Board review.
Working in partnership with the Alexandria Health Department, we will provide updates to the community as conditions evolve, and will continue acting in the best interests of our ACPS community, especially the children we are dedicated to serve.
The Superintendent is instructed to proceed with the dates outlined above to the fullest extent possible and provide updates to the Board should any adjustments be anticipated.
'. Upon a Roll-Call Vote being taken, the vote was: Aye: 9 Nay: 0. | | The motion Carried 9 - 0 | | | | | Ramee A. Gentry | Yes | | Margaret Lorber | Yes | | Cindy Anderson | Yes | | Veronica R. Nolan | Yes | | Meagan L. Alderton | Yes | | Christopher A. Suarez | Yes | | Jacinta Greene | Yes | | Dr. Michelle Rief | Yes | | Heather Thornton | Yes | |
|
| Amended Motion | Member Christopher A. Suarez Moved, Member Margaret Lorber seconded to approve the Amended motion 'The Superintendent recommends that the School Board require weekly COVID-19 testing or voluntary documentation of COVID-19 vaccination for all employees.
Christopher Suarez moved to amend the motion to change the dates listed in the motion as follows:
Change September 7 to August 27 as deadline for staff to submit vaccinations. Change September 20 to August 30 for when required COVID testing will begin for staff who have not been vaccinated or have not submitted vaccination documentation.'. Upon a Roll-Call Vote being taken, the vote was: Aye: 5 Nay: 4. | | The motion Carried 5 - 4 | | | | | Ramee A. Gentry | No | | Margaret Lorber | Yes | | Cindy Anderson | Yes | | Veronica R. Nolan | No | | Meagan L. Alderton | No | | Christopher A. Suarez | Yes | | Jacinta Greene | Yes | | Dr. Michelle Rief | Yes | | Heather Thornton | No | |
|
| New Motion | Member Ramee A. Gentry Moved, Member Cindy Anderson seconded to approve the New motion 'The Superintendent recommends that the School Board require weekly COVID-19 testing or voluntary documentation of COVID-19 vaccination for all employees.
Add "The Superintendent is instructed to proceed with the dates outlined above to the fullest extent possible and provide updates to the Board should any adjustments be anticipated." and remove "or COVID test"" before "by August 27" in paragraph 2.'. Upon a Roll-Call Vote being taken, the vote was: Aye: 9 Nay: 0. | | The motion Carried 9 - 0 | | | | | Ramee A. Gentry | Yes | | Margaret Lorber | Yes | | Cindy Anderson | Yes | | Veronica R. Nolan | Yes | | Meagan L. Alderton | Yes | | Christopher A. Suarez | Yes | | Jacinta Greene | Yes | | Dr. Michelle Rief | Yes | | Heather Thornton | Yes | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|