ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY

PERSONNEL

SLPS COVID-19 EMPLOYEE VACCINATION POLICY

Policy # 4624

 

SLPS COVID-19 EMPLOYEE VACCINATION POLICY

 

I.                   Purpose

 

The Board of Education has adopted this policy consistent with its duty to provide a free public education to students, to safeguard the health and well-being of employees and their families, and to maintain a public school environment wherein the recognized hazards associated with COVID-19 are mitigated to fullest extent possible through use of approved COVID-19 vaccines.  This policy is based on guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the City of St. Louis Public Health Department.

 

II.                Scope

 

This policy applies to all employees and staff, including all school volunteers and vendors providing regular services to students (i.e. transportation, food service, and special education). This policy applies to all COVID-19 vaccines fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)[1].

 

III.             Policy

 

By October 15, 2021, all individuals covered by this policy must either (a) establish that they are fully vaccinated*, including timely receipt of all booster vaccine doses recommended by the CDC; or (b) obtain an approved exemption as an accommodation as set forth below.  Covered individuals who do not fulfill one of these two requirements by October 15, 2021 shall be placed on unpaid leave and/or subject to discipline, up to and including termination.  Individuals covered under this policy that obtain an approved exemption shall be subject to COVID-19 testing on Monday and Thursday each week. 

 

Employees are responsible for scheduling and obtaining all required doses of an FDA approved vaccine.

 

To establish vaccination status, employees must present written evidence in the form of a completed COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, or other verifiable written evidence setting forth the date the employee received the dose(s) of the vaccine, and the type of vaccine received.  All proof of vaccination status information shall be treated as confidential information maintained separate from the employee personnel file.

 

* As of August 17, 2021, the CDC defined “fully vaccinated” individuals as follows:

• two weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or

• two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

 

IV.              Request for Exemptions

 

Disability Accommodation

The District provides reasonable accommodations, absent undue hardship, to qualified individuals with disabilities that enable them to perform their job duties.  If you believe you need an accommodation regarding this policy because of a disability, you are responsible for requesting a reasonable accommodation from the Human Resources Department.  You must use and submit the form(s) provided by the District in order to be eligible for an exemption.

 

Religious Exemption

The District provides reasonable accommodations, absent undue hardship, to employees with sincerely held religious beliefs, observances, or practices that conflict with getting vaccinated.  If you believe you need an accommodation regarding this policy because of a sincerely held religious belief, you are responsible for requesting a reasonable accommodation from the Human Resources Department.  You must use and submit the form(s) provided by the District in order to be eligible for an exemption.

 

Exemption for Other Medical Reasons

Consistent with applicable CDC guidance and information regarding vaccine risks and vaccine allergies, exemptions for other reasons may be available on a case-by-case basis for a medical condition that is a contradiction to the COVID-19 vaccine even if it does not qualify as a disability under federal, state, or local law.  Employees are responsible for requesting any exemption for Other Medical Reasons from the Human Resources Department.  You must use and submit the form(s) provided by the District in order to be eligible for an exemption.

 

V.                 Related Policies

Board Policy 4623 sets forth the policies and procedures related to COVID-19 related quarantines, isolations and positive cases for both in-school and external exposures. Since its adoption on January 12, 2021, the CDC has ruled that asymptomatic vaccinated individuals who have a close contact with a COVID positive person do not have to quarantine. SLPS will continue to follow any further guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the City of St. Louis Public Health Department.

 

Board Policy 4620.9 sets forth the District’s policy related to Workers’ Compensation injury leave and benefits. SLPS employees who are identified by the District’s Contact Tracing Department as a close contact of a COVID positive individual during the performance of their job duties, who subsequently (within the relevant exposure time period) are diagnosed as COVID positive, will be processed as Worker’s Compensation claims.

 

 

Policy adopted: August 24, 2021

 

 

 


[1] As of August 23, 2021, the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine is fully approved by the FDA.  Going forward, this policy shall apply to all COVID-19 vaccines/boosters that receive full FDA approval, including but not limited to: Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, or Astra-Zeneca.