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To: Oregon Superintendents and Principals, Charter School Leaders, Private
School Leaders, Reopening Advisors, School Nurses, Business Managers,
Public Information Officers, Education Partners
From: Kati Moseley, ODE Ready Schools, Safe Learners Manager
Date: August 26, 2021
Re: COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Teachers and School Staff:
Rule, FAQs and Exception Forms Available Online
Dear Oregon School and District Leaders:
Thank you for your grace, flexibility and tenacity as Oregon and the communities you serve continue to live through this phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday, the Oregon Health Authority posted OAR 333-019-1030: COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Teachers and School Staff. OAR 333-019-1030 applies to most staff, contractors, and volunteers in all schools and school-based programs. As with state executive branch employees and health care workers, religious and medical exceptions apply.
Below are links to the rule, FAQs, and the medical and religious exception forms for OAR 333-019-1030. If after reviewing the information at these links you have additional questions, please reach out to ODECOVID19@ode.state.or.us.
Schools and school-based programs that grant an exception to the vaccination requirement under this rule must take reasonable steps to ensure that unvaccinated teachers, staff and volunteers are protected from contracting and spreading COVID-19. Reasonable steps could include, but are not limited to, weekly testing, a fitted N95 mask, additional physical distancing or an isolated worksite.
Schools and school-based programs covered by this rule have the flexibility to establish more protective or additional requirements. For example:
- Requiring teachers, school staff and volunteers, and school-based program staff and volunteers to have documentation of an additional or booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine if that is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Establishing an earlier effective date for these requirements.
- Requiring additional staff and contractors beyond those identified in the rule to vaccinate.
As leaders in Oregon’s education system, we share your priority to implement the protocols needed to reliably hold school in-person, every school day, for all students, all year long. From what we know today, there are two primary keys to keeping our students and staff in classrooms with minimal disruptions:
- Most people in schools are unvaccinated (children under 12 are still not eligible), so universal and correct use of face coverings is a critical tool to prevent spread of COVID-19 in a school setting.
- Just as important is ensuring all the adults around our students are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so that they are safe and able to reliably provide in-person instruction.
Thank you for your continued partnership as we all work to provide the best learning experience and environment for students and staff across the state. As always, after reviewing the materials provided above, please send any questions to ODECOVID19@ode.state.or.us.
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