Thomas Breen photo
King/Robinson middle school STEM teacher Jonathan Hill gets vaccinated at Wilbur Cross in March.
Teachers who refuse to get vaccinated or don’t keep up with weekly testing deadlines will not be allowed on school premises until they comply — and could potentially be fired.
Those new rules were approved unanimously by the Board of Education in its newest Covid-19 Vaccination/Testing Compliance Policy.
The policy was made in accordance with the governor’s Executive Order 13 G, which instructs the board to institute a way for school staff required to get vaccinated to demonstrate proof of vaccination status or documented proof for opting out of the mandate due to medical conditions or “sincerely held religious or spiritual beliefs.”
BOE member Tamiko Jackson-McArthur spearheaded the policymaking as chair of the board’s Governance Committee. (Click here to read the policy.)
The policy outlines the state executive order that school staff are mandated to get vaccinated or must show proof of exception for the vaccine. It details how the district will verify employees’ proof of vaccination and the consequences of noncompliance with the weekly testing process for those refusing vaccination.
“This is a game changer for us,” BOE Secretary Edward Joyner said during Monday’s board meeting.
The school system was asked Wednesday how many teachers have been vaccinated. Schools spokesperson Justin Harmon did not respond with that number by the time this story was published; he did say that 92 percent of teachers have agreed either to be vaccinated or to be tested weekly
The policy states that request for an exemption will be considered on a case by case basis based on employees’ supporting documentation for the requests.
The district will accept any three forms of proof of vaccination;
1. CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or photo of the Vaccination Record Card;
2. Documentation from a health care provider or electronic health care records; or
3. State Immunization Information record.
With either of the three options, “a personal attestation is required saying that the proof of a COVID-19 vaccination is true and accurate” the policy also states.
Those employees who fail to comply with the weekly testing requirement “shall not be allowed on the premises of the school board until the individual provides adequate proof of compliance or without prior written authorization of the employer.”
The policy establishes that if an employee has not provided evidence of a negative covid test and is not vaccinated, the employee cannot enter New Haven Public Schools premises.
“The District will not bear the consequences of an individual’s neglect to comply with Governor’s Executive Order 13G,” the policy states.
Unvaccinated staff members are required to submit timely testing results no later than each Thursday by 11:59 p.m. If negative results are not submitted by the policy deadline employees must use personal leave, if available, to get tested.
The policy states; “vacation or sick leave may not be used due to noncompliance. The District will not provide time off for employees to comply with the mandate.”
If an employee fails to provide documentation of testing by the required date, enforcement of the policy will work as follow:
1. In the first instance, the employee will receive a verbal or email warning with 3 days (72 hours) to get tested and provide documentation. The employee must use personal leave (if available) to get tested and provide results.
2. In the second instance, the employee will receive a written warning with 3 days (72 hours) to get tested and provide documentation.
3. In the third instance, the District will place the non-compliant employee on an unpaid leave of absence, and it reserves the right to begin termination proceedings for non-compliance with Executive Order 13G.
Jackson-McArthur worked with the committee and the board’s legal counsel to include in the policy that all employees’ medical notes come from doctors who are licensed in the State of Connecticut.
“We wanted to have it from a doctor licensed in Connecticut, because Connecticut has been very stringent and very strict on making sure that the letters are having the documentation and true facts,” Jackson-McArthur said.
Board member Darnell Goldson said since finalization of the policy he has spoken with some school employee unions, and they expressed support for the policy.
now do police.