Newark Charter School With Staff Vaccine Mandate Hits 98 Percent

NEWARK, NJ — Officials at a Newark charter school say they’ve hit a big number: 98 percent. That’s the number of staff who are now vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to administrators at Great Oaks Legacy Charter School (GOLCS), a Newark-based, seven-campus public charter school that educates students in grades PK4-12.

GOLCS was among the first schools in Newark to require all employees to get vaccinated. The policy is more rigorous than the current state standard, which gives district school employees the opportunity to opt into weekly testing instead of being vaccinated.

According to a statement from the school:

“Throughout the pandemic, school districts have had to constantly examine and adjust existing policies to ensure safe working and learning environments. This decision was made after seeing several institutions require employee COVID vaccination, including federal government and public and private institutions such as Rutgers University-Newark, other charter school networks in the northeast, and Montclair State University. As GOLCS continues to prioritize health and safety, it will follow all official health guidelines from the state of New Jersey and the CDC. GOLCS also publicizes COVID cases on its website.”

“We take very seriously the health and safety of our school community, and the quality of education that is provided to our students,” Executive Director Jared Taillefer said.

“It is for this reason, and many more, that 100 percent of GOLCS staff receiving the vaccination is imperative and will provide an extra level of safety as we strive to ensure a continuous, uninterrupted educational experience for GOLCS students,” Taillefer said.

“Our policy was designed to achieve that outcome – and we’ve nearly reached our goal,” Taillefer added.

• See related article: Essex County Starts Offering COVID Vaccines To Kids Under 12

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