Education

Vaccination rate among Peninsula School District employees is 92.6%

Of the 1,197 employees in Peninsula School District, 92.6% (1,109) have been fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the district reported Friday.

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Eighty-six employees (7.2% of staff) have claimed and been approved for medical or religious exemptions, meaning the district’s rate of compliance with Gov. Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate is just shy of 100%. Only two employees failed to either get vaccinated or obtain an exemption by the state’s deadline, which was Oct. 18. The district will share results with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in a report that’s due Monday.

Only two school district employees failed to either get vaccinated or obtain an exemption by the state’s deadline, which was Oct. 18. Ed Friedrich / Gig Harbor Now

Peninsula Superintendent Krestin Bahr said the numbers shared with families, staff and the community Friday were a “preview” of the report to the state.

“I am proud to say that our staff has overwhelmingly complied with the state’s vaccine mandate. I’m grateful for their dedication to keep each other and our students safe during the pandemic,” Bahr said in a written statement. “I believe these numbers are a direct result of our efforts to work with our union leaders on the potential impacts of the mandate on our employees.”

Bahr said the district has worked to share information with employees about the mandate timeline, exemption options, the process for claiming an exemption and information about local vaccine clinics. The district experienced disruptions to nearly all of its bus routes on Oct. 15 and Oct. 18 because of a driver shortage, but the lack of drivers was not related to the mandate’s deadline, the district said. An ongoing, pandemic-related driver shortage was compounded by a spate of illnesses that were not COVID-19, according a district spokeswoman.

Staff who have claimed an exemption from the vaccine mandate will be required to test weekly for COVID-19 and provide the results to their COVID site coordinator, a district employee who oversees protocol in each school or facility to prevent the spread of COVID.

The vaccination or exemption status of individual employees is not publicly available to protect employees’ privacy, the district said. Any accommodations made for unvaccinated employees follow the state Department of Health’s COVID-19 safety guidelines.

“Regardless of vaccination status, all of our staff and students are required to stay home when sick, wear a face covering and maintain social distancing guidelines,” Bahr said.

You can read more here about the district’s COVID-19 safety protocols.

“We appreciate your support as we continue to navigate the impacts of COVID-19 on our students, staff and families,” Bahr said. “Please enjoy your weekend. Take care of yourself and your family. We are ‘Better Together’.”