DECATUR, Ga. — Decatur City Schools intends to implement a vaccine requirement for its staff, according to district communications.
The district has not yet crafted a formal policy as it considers how to provide "reasonable accommodation" under federal law. But it believes such a policy can be implemented without a Board of Education vote.
The Board would need to sign off on a similar policy for students.
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The district's intentions are laid out in Superintendent Dr. Maggie Ferhman's weekly newsletter, which 11Alive has obtained a copy of.
"Requiring staff to have the COVID vaccine does not require a Board vote so the district can start to implement this requirement," the newsletter says of the intended staff policy. "The requirement for staff must allow for reasonable accommodation provisions of the ADA and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other EEO considerations. We will begin outlining the accommodations and the process for applying for them to staff soon."
Regarding students, the newsletter says, "Changing requirements for vaccines or immunizations... requires Board action."
"Therefore, the Board asked the superintendent, in consultation with our legal counsel, to draft an updated policy on required immunizations and bring it to a future Board meeting for discussion and approval," it states.
Earlier this week, the Board of Education weighed the matter in a work session.
The newsletter said the Board had voiced support for a vaccine requirement, saying that the board members had "agreed that requiring the vaccine is the next step the district should take in our multilayered approach to mitigation."
They did not hold a formal vote on the matter.
11Alive's La'Tasha Givens spoke to labor attorney Jeff Mokotoff this week, who said regulations outlined in an executive order by Gov. Brian Kemp allow for school districts to require the vaccine, but not require proof - making it difficult to enforce.