COVID-19 Tests Required For Unvaccinated PUSD Students And Staff

PASADENA, CA — All eligible students within the Pasadena Unified School District will be required to take the COVID-19 vaccine starting Sept. 1.

The district’s Board of Education approved the vaccine mandate Thursday, and anyone who remains unvaccinated against the virus will have to undergo weekly screening tests. COVID-19 tests will also have to be taken weekly by student-athletes regardless of their vaccination status and anyone under the age of 12, the district said.

The new policy comes after more than 300 students and staff members across the district have gone into quarantine since Aug. 1. Around 245 of those in quarantine are enrolled or work at Marshall Fundamental School, where two cases of the virus were confirmed this month.

“I am gratified that the board voted to support the recommendations of staff to improve our measures that mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 virus on our students, staff, school communities, families and community members,” Board President Scott Phelps said in a statement.

To help facilitate weekly testing, the district plans to place “mobile testing teams” at every school site, according to school officials.

One issue that came up during the meeting is getting parental consent for underage students to get tested.

Elizabeth Blanco, the district’s chief academic officer, said she had “confidence in the community” that parents would voluntarily comply with their child getting tested. Ultimately, school officials won’t know until testing begins.

“We should cross that bridge later and see how many students or parents really don’t want to comply without trying to approach it from a way of mandating or taking away someone’s rights,” she said.