Newton School Committee Unanimously Approves Vaccine Requirement

NEWTON, MA — The Newton School Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night to require vaccination of all Newton Public School educators and school department employees.

The policy will allow for some exemptions for medical and religious reasons, but those who are exempt will be required to get tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis and show proof of each negative test.

The vaccine mandate comes after the Newton School Committee unanimously voted in favor of a district-wide mask mandate on August 24, the same day the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) authorized Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley to institute a statewide mask mandate.

As of Thursday, 76.1% of Newton residents are fully vaccinated and 83.1% have had their first dose. Although the majority of locals are vaccinated, the city reported 136 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, a significant increase from the 98 cases reported last week.

"We know the vaccine is proving to be effective in preventing serious cases of COVID-19, even as the highly contagious Delta variant moves through our region," said Mayor Ruthanne Fuller in a community update Thursday. "Our goal is for our entire community to work together to stop the spread to youngsters who are not eligible to receive a vaccine and others who are immunocompromised or face health challenges."

Newton is currently working to have all municipal employees be fully vaccinated, said Fuller. However, because a vaccine mandate requires discussions with the city's unions. it will take some time to finalize the details.

"Please know we are working on it," she said.