97% of LAUSD teachers at least partially vaccinated, district says, as mandate deadline looms

With the timepiece winding down for employees to person astatine slightest their archetypal dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the Los Angeles Unified School District announced Friday, Oct. 15, that 97% of its schoolroom teachers and administrators, arsenic good arsenic 95% of classified supervisors specified arsenic administrative assistant, cafeteria managers and works managers, are present partially oregon afloat vaccinated.

The nation’s second-largest schoolhouse territory has fixed employees until the extremity of time today to get their archetypal dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech oregon Moderna vaccines oregon the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Those who miss the deadline volition beryllium barred from field travel Monday, and, unless granted an exemption oregon accommodation to enactment remotely, would efficaciously beryllium placed connected paid leave.

“Our employees are 1 of the strongest assets we person and we are perfectly adamant astir keeping our schools safe,” the territory said successful a connection astir its vaccination mandate.

“We are moving to guarantee uninterrupted learning and acquisition opportunities astatine each schoolhouse portion we proceed to supply vaccine entree to our employees who person not met the requirement,” the connection went connected to say.

School committee President Kelly Gonez, successful an email Thursday, said the territory has prepared contingency plans successful lawsuit of staffing shortages adjacent week.

“It would beryllium unrealistic to foretell that nary staffing changes volition beryllium required, but we are moving tirelessly to minimize the interaction to our schools,” she wrote. “These each hands connected platform efforts see sending further certificated and classified cardinal unit to schoolhouse sites arsenic needed.”

District officials person not provided immoderate much circumstantial details astir their contingency plans, nor responded to questions specified arsenic whether they’re assured they’ve lined up capable substitute teachers, autobus drivers oregon cafeteria workers for Monday.

Employees who conscionable this week’s deadline for partial vaccination volition person until Nov. 15 to get their 2nd changeable of the Pfizer oregon Moderna vaccines.

LAUSD, which employs astir 73,000 people, initially ordered employees to person their 2nd changeable by this week but agreed to push backmost the deadline a mates weeks to let much clip for workers who privation the two-dose vaccines to inactive person that enactment portion complying with the district’s mandate.

Employees who bash not conscionable this week’s deadline and are not assigned alternate enactment would beryllium paid done Oct. 31. They could beryllium fired starting Nov. 1.

Some LAUSD employees who reason the vaccination mandate protested extracurricular Tuesday’s schoolhouse committee meeting.