Portland schools to require that staff get COVID-19 vaccinations before classes begin

Those who cannot get the shots will have to get regular testing

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Portland Public Schools will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the start of the 2021-22 school year, the district announced Wednesday. 

KGW reported that the district said all employees must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination by Aug. 31 unless they have an approved exemption, according to a press release from PPS. Employees who are unable to get vaccinated for personal health reasons, or those who do not provide proof of full vaccination, will be required to get tested for COVID-19. PPS did not say how often employees would be tested, only that they would be tested regularly.

“Vaccinations against COVID-19 are the most effective way to protect children, youth and adults,” said Portland Public Schools Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero. “Parents can rest assured that our school system is exercising every available lever, including the requirement of vaccines and masks and the implementation of other health and safety measures, to protect every PPS student, our employees and our Portland community.”  

A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Schools will fully reopen on Sept. 1. PPS said it's finalizing its vaccine requirement plan for school volunteers and contractors. Their announcement did not mention any plans to require eligible students to be vaccinated. 

“Vaccination is our most powerful tool to get our students back to in-person learning, and restore the interaction and personal connection that is such a crucial part of learning,” said Elizabeth Thiel, the president of the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT). “While the vast majority of PAT members are already vaccinated, this mandate is an important step toward ensuring that everyone in our school communities is vaccinated, if they are able to be.” 

Under Gov. Kate Brown's statewide mask mandate, students and staff will also be required to wear masks in all PPS and administrative buildings.

PPS is Oregon's largest K-12 school district, with about 49,000 students.