Tens of thousands of unvaccinated students in Los Angeles Unified got a reprieve on Tuesday, Dec. 14, when school board members voted — albeit grudgingly — to allow them to continue attending school in person the rest of the school year even if they don’t receive their COVID-19 shots.
But board members made clear that their vote was to minimize disruptions to student learning — both for unvaccinated students who otherwise would be forced to enroll in an independent study program that lacks the capacity to take them on, as well for for vaccinated students who could lose teachers or have their course schedules changed as district staff are moved around in response to where the student demands are.
“This change is not about conceding to a vocal minority of anti-vaxxers because we in L.A. Unified absolutely still believe in the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines and we will continue working hard to ensure that we’re increasing our vaccination rate,” board President Kelly Gonez said right before the board voted to change the timeline for enforcement.
She reminded the public that the state’s own vaccination mandate for students is expected to go into effect in fall 2022, regardless of whether they attend public or private schools.
“So students here: one way or the other, will have to be vaccinated in order to attend our schools in August,” Gonez said. “There is no flexibility.”
While LAUSD’s mandate does not allow for a religious or personal beliefs exemption for students, the state’s mandate currently does.
The district had intended to transfer students 12 and older who had not complied with the vaccine mandate by Jan. 10 to City of Angels, its online independent study program. But with so many students not yet in compliance, district officials decided to postpone enforcement of the mandate until next fall.
Board member George McKenna argued that the board should stick with its initial deadline of Jan. 10 for student compliance, but it was clear that the majority of the board would vote for the postponement.
The district’s independent study program is already struggling to provide services to the more than 16,000 students currently enrolled in it. City of Angels was never intended to serve such a large load of students but saw its enrollment grow 11-fold year-over-year as students who weren’t ready to return to school in person this year due to the ongoing pandemic opted for the online program.
To add about 25,000 more students to the program in a matter of weeks would have proven a logistical nightmare.
Despite their decision to delay enforcement of the mandate, district officials are touting the 87% overall student vaccination rate as something to celebrate, noting that LAUSD’s vaccination rate for 12- to 17-year-olds is higher than the overall rate for this age group countywide.
Tuesday’s reprieve for unvaccinated students, while temporary, was welcome news for families opposed to the district’s student vaccination mandate, particularly since a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge had denied a request for a preliminary injunction to stop LAUSD’s mandate from moving forward just this week.
More than 100 people gathered outside the district office ahead of the board vote, hoping to put pressure on elected officials to delay enforcement of the mandate.
Protesters lined the 300 block of South Beaudry Avenue and gathered en masse at the entrance to the district office. Due to COVID-19 protocols, members of the public are no longer permitted to enter the board room during public meetings. Those interested in watching the meetings can do so online and submit their comments to the board in writing ahead of time or by calling in during meetings.
Rally goers, waving home-made signs reading “medical freedom,” “coercion is not consent,” and “segregation is morally wrong,” turned their attention to drivers passing by, prompting waves and honks from sympathizers on the move.
Amy Bohn, executive director of Protecting Educational Rights of Kids, Inc., one of two groups suing the district on behalf of hundreds of parents who don’t want their children vaccinated, gave several impassioned speeches to an enthusiastic crowd during a rally outside the district office Tuesday.
“We understand what’s at stake more than anything. There are children being kicked out of school because they’re not vaccinated,” Bohn said before the board vote. “This is a human rights issue. And no matter what happens today, we are going to continue fighting for you and your children. This is something where we can’t be complacent ever again.”
Carolyn Sinclair, a stay-at-home mom, said she’s concerned that vaccine mandates remove personal choice.
“I’m here because anytime you’re being asked to make a choice and there’s a risk, you need to have a choice,” she said. “I don’t have any problem with people choosing what’s best for their families, but please don’t choose what’s best for mine.”
Alberto Carvalho, recently named the next superintendent of LAUSD, was in Los Angeles to meet with district officials and members of the press after the board voted to approve his contract in a separate vote Tuesday. During a news conference, he said he agreed with the decision to postpone enforcement of the student vaccination mandate, adding that he did not view the action as a walking back of a prior board decision but, rather, providing more time for compliance.
“We already have an extremely high percentage of students vaccinated and adults,” Carvalho said. “So that opens the door of opportunity for an extended timeline. It is not an abdication of a previous decision.”
Teachers union President Cecily Myart-Cruz said in a statement after the board vote that while United Teachers Los Angeles supports vaccine mandates for staff and students, “educators and families share a common interest in keeping students with their current learning communities and protecting schools from widespread disruption in areas where vaccine numbers are not where they need to be.”
In addition to extending the deadline before enforcing the student vaccination mandate, the board on Tuesday also voted to expand its staff and student vaccination mandates to include all charter schools authorized by the board.
Ricardo Soto, the chief advocacy officer and general counsel for the California Charter Schools Association, noted after the vote that charter schools operating on LAUSD property are already complying with the district’s mandate.
“Today’s vote mandating vaccines for all charter public schools authorized by LAUSD comes after the policy was made public just 24 hours ago and without input from the charter community,” Soto said. “CCSA is reviewing the policy and will take the necessary steps to ensure the District works with charter public schools so that all community members are well aware of mandated timelines, policies are based on science, and parents are provided full transparency on the health and safety of their child.”