GUELPH – Trustees at the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) are pushing for a stronger policy framework around vaccinations in schools after receiving little direction from the province.
In an Aug. 31 board meeting, trustee Linda Busuttil put forward a motion she had been holding onto since the provincial announcement on implementing a vaccination policy came forward on Aug. 17.
The motion, which was passed unanimously by the board, instructs Director of Education Peter Sobran to work with public health, local health partners, and UGDSB employee groups to develop a protocol to require all UGDSB staff, trustees and visitors to disclose and provide proof of their vaccination status.
“The focus of this initiative is to keep staff safe, our students and our community safe. As employers it is our responsibility … to keep our staff safe,” Busuttil explained in her opening remarks on the motion
Busuttil added although the province and the Ministry of Education (MOE) have reiterated “’it’s coming soon, we’ll have some kind of a policy,’ there has not been an education framework policy or directive that can inform our policy and we’re still really looking for that.
“I think the community has also been looking to us to lead actively and to be strategic around what we’re doing in our schools given the change in community circumstances.”
When explaining the difference between her motion and previous announcements, Busuttil noted the MOE has not yet released a policy or framework, adding the motion follows other boards like the Toronto District School Board.
She added the Ottawa Carleton District School Board is also debating a motion that she noted is even further reaching than what she’s proposing.
“Here, it is strategic,” she explained. “It positions us to stretch and expand should there be any sector direction, any kind of policy framework.
“There has been no policy or policy framework from the Ministry of Education and so us, as employers in this kind of empty gap, need to do something and I’m urging us to act and do as other boards have in adopting some kind of a motion.”
She explained the motion would allow the board to put something in place by the Sept. 7 start date for school, adding if the government chooses to release a policy the motion won’t impede the board from making amendments.
In response to Busuttil’s motion, trustee Robin Ross reiterated the statements released by the MOE don’t provide a lot of directive in helping the board prepare for the start of the school year, adding she would have liked to see a consistent policy across Ontario.
“I don’t know when they intend to give us clues as to what exactly is supposed to happen with these big statements,” said Ross.
“Kids are coming back to school September 7th and I believe something is better than nothing, so I do support trustee Busuttil.”
Ross raised concerns around how the board will be tracking personal health information and who is considered employees or visitors when schools have contractors coming in and out.
“If we’re tracking it differently for people who are employees and people who are coming onto sites. .. it says visitors, does that include contractors? Are those visitors or employees?” she asked.
“I am going to support the motion simply because I haven’t found any direction to work from at this point and we are rapidly running out of time.
“It would have been great to have … actual direction on how to do this and to be able to share that with the people who are asking these questions.”
The motion was passed in a unanimous vote by trustees. The finalized protocol is expected to be implemented prior to Sept. 7, if feasible, or as soon as possible following that date.
To review the full motion visit www.ugdsb.ca/blog/board-meeting-highlights-for-august-2021.
