Salem School Employee Vaccine Requirement Begins March 4

SALEM, MA — Salem teachers and other school employees who remain unvaccinated against the coronavirus face a March 4 deadline to get at least their first shot or face possible discipline.

Superintendent Steve Zrike told the School Committee Monday night that nearly 93 percent of school staff currently meets the vaccination requirement, but the remainder has about three weeks to either get the shot or be approved for a religious or medical exemption.

Zrike said full-time, part-time and temporary school employees were sent a letter informing them of the district's intention to align with the city's vaccine order for municipal workers at the start of next month.

"We're trying to work with people," Zrike said. "We want to be supportive of folks in getting their vaccinations."

However, he did allow anyone who remains unvaccinated as of the deadline is "subject to disciplinary action and that might be up to and including discharge."

A vaccination clinic has been scheduled for Collins Middle School on Friday from noon to 6 p.m. where both pediatric and adult vaccines will be available. Pre-registration can be done here, but walk-ins are welcome.

The vaccination push comes as the Salem School Committee faces the decision whether to allow students and staff to go unmasked inside school buildings. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education order that covers all schools with less than an 80 percent vaccination level among students and staff — which includes all Salem Public Schools — will expire on Feb. 28 after Gov. Charlie Baker said on Wednesday it would not be extended a fourth time.

Individual school districts will have to determine their own policies. The Salem School Committee's mask policy pre-dates the state's mandate and will have to be lifted in order for the schools to become mask-optional.

Zrike said Monday night he would not recommend that at this time.

"We want to get out of wearing masks eventually," he said. "But we're lagging (with vaccinations), including staff.

"We know that we're going to have more flexibility in reducing some of the protocols down the road the more in the community who are vaccinated. We are certainly not in a position to recommend relaxing any of our protocols yet."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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