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St. Paul School Board considers staff vaccine mandate, teachers union widely approves

By the end of the week, we should know if St. Paul schools will mandate vaccines for nearly 7,000 staff.

ST PAUL, Minn. — On Friday, the St. Paul School Board is expected to vote on whether to adopt a COVID-19 vaccine requirement, which would make it among the first - and by far the largest - school district to take such a step.

The current proposal would require nearly 7,000 SPPS staff members to either show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or submit to regular testing.

Superintendent Joe Gothard voiced support for the vaccination requirement during the St. Paul School Board meeting on Tuesday.

"We want to be sure we're doing this the right way," Gothard said. "I also want to be sure that we're doing this in a way that allows us, not only to open our doors, but to keep our doors open."

According to a SPPS staff survey, 55% of respondents said they support a district-wide mandate, and 37% said they do not support one. 8% said they're still not sure.

"We're in favor of a vaccine requirement," said Leah Vandassor, President of the St Paul Federation of Educators.

Vandassor says the union has urged the board to consider a vaccine requirement for a few weeks.

"Having as many adults vaccinated, as can be done safely, is the best option for keeping as many of our students safe as we can," she said.

Vandassor says there are teachers who either can't get vaccinated or simply oppose getting it for various reasons, but even at a time when the district is facing a staffing shortage, she says she's not concerned about losing teachers.

"Those folks that want to not be vaccinated will still be able to work in St. Paul and just have to follow the other guidelines," Vandassor said. "We're hoping to negotiate with the district about how that would look for people to be able to continue to work in the district and stay as safe as possible, which would include at least weekly testing."

That's the same approach being taken by Education Minnesota.

"We believe that we have about 90% of educators in Minnesota who have received the vaccine," said Denise Specht, President of Education Minnesota. "So most educators are already vaccinated and I think that's a good thing."

Specht says it's hard to know how many other schools will adopt similar requirements, but does believe mandates could be another key to keeping schools open.

"What I do know is this: We had a teacher shortage before COVID and there certainly is a shortage now. Class sizes are high, case loads are high, it's very, very difficult," she said. "If an educator is quarantined, or even if an educator is sick, we're just simply finding that not as many people want to be a guest teacher, or a substitute teacher anymore, given the challenges going on in the schools right now."

But whether it's masks or shots, Specht says it's clear that, this school year, the state is leaving it up to the districts - for better or worse.

"We're putting school districts and school boards in a position to make decisions about the health and safety of students and staff, and that's a very difficult place to be in," she said.

"On top of that, this has become very political. I never, in a million years, believed, or even imagined, that the health and safety of students and staff would become so politicized." 

Data on school vaccine mandates doesn't appear to be tracked by the state, but according to Education Minnesota, St. Paul could become the third district to adopt a vaccine requirement. The other two include Red Lake Schools, and Intermediate School District 287, which serves about 1,000 high-needs kids in Hennepin County.

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