Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District sends vaccine mandate resolution, parent and staff surveys to Gov. Gavin Newsom

 

A resolution and surveys regarding proposed student and staff vaccine mandates sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom by Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District officials recently contain some interesting opinions and data points.

A two-page resolution adopted by district trustees carries the lengthy title “Urgent Request to Governor Gavin Newsom to Reconsider or Rescind the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Public and Private K-12 Students and Staff as a Requirement in K-12 School Settings.”

Vote was 4-1, with Marilyn Anderson, Leandra Blades, Carrie Buck and Scott Youngblood in favor and Karin Freeman opposed.

A key point in the resolution notes the district experienced a total enrollment decline of 571 students for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years, but the drop was 1,477 students since the beginning of the pandemic and mandated stay-at-home orders in March 2020.

The 259% increase in declining enrollment for the two time periods represents a $14.77 million reduction in state funding for the district's operations, according to the resolution.

The resolution also states, “Some parents, including COVID-19 vaccinated and pro-vaccination parents, are uncomfortable subjecting their young children to a vaccination for which there is no longitudinal data.”

Among the resolution's seven “resolves”: vaccine mandate is “ill-advised” and contrary to educational and social-emotional goals; individual choice “is crucial”; and trustees expect vaccination mandates to terminate March 31, with the slated end of the “state of emergency.”

Others: the district intends “to extend the right for families and staff to request personal and medical exemptions” and if the “state of emergency” is extended, “the district will challenge emergency protocols inconsistent with local conditions as far as the law allows.”

Surveys of families and staff showed that while families opposed the vaccine mandate for students (57.5% against, even with medical and personal exemptions, and 64% opposed, without exemptions allowed), staff supported the mandate for employees (54.1% to 38%).

Survey response rates were 12.6% from families (3,034 responses from 24,026 families) and 44.9% from staff (1,271 responses from 2,825 employees).

Interestingly, 62.1% of families said they'd keep their student in a district school if mandates allowed medical or personal exemptions, and 48.5% said they would if exemptions were not allowed.

With exemptions, 6.2% would choose the district's online or homeschool options, and without exemptions, 7.9% would choose those options. With exemptions, 31.7% would remove their students from district schools, and without exemptions, 43.7% would remove their students.

Staff responses: With exemptions, 73.6% would comply and continue in district schools, 21.1% would seek exemptions and 5.4% would seek employment elsewhere, and without exemptions, 75.8% would comply and 24.2% would seek employment elsewhere.