Castaic district says no to vaccine mandate

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The Castaic Union School District’s governing board approved a resolution asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to rescind his COVID-19 vaccine mandate for public and private K-12 students as a requirement for in-person instruction.  

“Some parents, including COVID-19, vaccinated, pro-vaccination parents, are very uncomfortable with subjecting their young children to a vaccination for which there is no longitudinal data,” read the resolution.  

The Castaic district held its governing board meeting on Monday and finalized and approved its resolution to send to the governor, the California Department of Public Health and Santa Clarita Valley representatives including Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, and others.   

In October, Newsom announced that K-12 students must vaccinate against COVID-19 as a requirement for in-person instruction for the term following full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a vaccine for their age groups.  

According to the agenda item, various members of the Castaic district community expressed concern over Newsom’s vaccination mandate.   

The Castaic district surveyed its parents and staff. According to the survey, 72% of participants opposed Newsom’s proposed vaccine mandate, and 64% of participants opposed a vaccine mandate for employees.  

“While the board of trustees of the Castaic district understands the goals of the governor and CDPH to stop the spread of COVID-19, we believe that the governor’s K-12 student vaccine mandate is ill-advised and in opposition to the educational and social-emotional goals of the state and district,” read the resolution.  

The board urged the governor to rescind the vaccine mandate as a condition of in-person instruction in grades K-12.  

Governing board holds an annual organizational meeting  

The Castaic governing board members also elected their officers and representatives for 2022. The governing board elected Laura Pearson, trustee area B, as the president, and John Richard, trustee area D, as the clerk. Mayreen Burk, trustee area E, Fred Malcomb, trustee area C, and Janene Maxon, trustee area A, will continue as board members.   

Maxon will conduct board meetings as the presiding officer in the absence of the president and clerk.  

Burk and Maxon will represent the board for the County Committee on School District Organization and Special Education Liaison Committee, respectively.   

The governing board also elected Superintendent Steve Doyle as the secretary to the board of trustees.  

The next Castaic board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. 

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