Brookline School Committee Issues Employee Vaccine Mandate

BROOKLINE, MA — The Brookline School Committee has approved a vaccine mandate for all employees, requiring them to submit proof of vaccination by Nov. 1.

The mandate, which passed on Sept. 9, applies to all Public Schools of Brookline (PSB) teachers, on-site vendors including transportation and food service vendors, on-site contractors, and volunteers, with some exemptions for medical or religious reasons. Employees with approved exemptions must provide continuing proof of negative COVID-19 test results.

"The Public Schools of Brookline (PSB) are committed to providing a safe environment during the COVID-19 pandemic," said the School Committee in a statement. "According to public health experts, vaccination is the leading prevention strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, reduce hospitalizations and severe disease, and keep members of our school community safe."

According to the district's new policy, PSB employees will also be required to "maintain full vaccination," meaning they will be required to receive any CDC-recommended booster shots for the Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Moderna vaccines within eight weeks of availability.

The policy went into effect immediately for all non-unionized employees and will go into effect for unionized employees once the School Committee reaches an agreement with the unions.

"Given the urgent need to prevent the spread of the Delta variant, we are hopeful that we will reach agreement quickly," said the School Committee.

PSB will host its third COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Thursday, Sept. 30 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, in the gym at the Lincoln School. Anyone over the age of 12 can sign up for an appointment here.