The William S. Hart Union High School District governing board is slated to discuss whether it will express formal opposition to the state’s vaccine mandate.
Placed on the agenda for Wednesday night’s regular board meeting, the opposition from the board would come in the form of a resolution urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to “reconsider or rescind the vaccine mandate as a condition of in-person instruction in grades K-12.”
In October, Newsom announced that all students, elementary through high school age, would be required to receive the vaccine upon their age demographic receiving final approval from the FDA for the vaccine. The governor stated there would be exemptions for medical and personal/religious beliefs.
“Various members of the Hart district community have expressed concern over Gov. Newsom’s vaccination mandate,” reads the meeting agenda. “Community members have asked the board to make a statement calling for the governor to revisit the vaccination mandate.”
In addition to the resolution, the board will also discuss the possible approval of a letter that would redirect the public’s concern to the appropriate state officials and ask for clarification on the vaccine exemption options.
“While we support reasonable public health measures in the fight against COVID-19, we believe that the ambiguity surrounding vaccination exemptions is contributing to confusion, frustration and anger,” reads the sample letter, addressed to state officials and signed by the governing board. “We also believe there is room for parent choice through reasonable and appropriate exemptions to a vaccination mandate.”
“We are concerned over the erosion of public trust that occurs when we are called upon to answer for mandates that are not clearly defined and for which we do not have the authority to either change or ignore,” the letter adds.
The letter asks the governor and/or state Legislature to clarify the exemption rules, as well as provide information on how concerned citizens may engage with Sacramento officials on the vaccine issue.
The regular board meeting for the William S. Hart Union High School District board is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the district office, 21380 Centre Pointe Parkway. Masks will be required to enter and remain at the meeting. The meeting will be livestreamed for those who do not wish to comply with the mask requirement at https://youtu.be/Spk-VrED0b0.
To view the rules on how to make a public comment during the meeting, visit https://bit.ly/3nl7dMR.
