Chatham Board Of Ed Plans To Adopt Employee Vaccine Requirements

CHATHAM, NJ — When Chatham’s Board of Education meets this coming Monday, board members plan to discuss and adopt the district's policy on school employee vaccination requirements and testing, which will impact employees as well as volunteers who regularly come to the district.

The policy is up for its second reading at the Board of Education meeting, which is being held on Monday in the Chatham Middle School auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

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According to the policy, employees who did not supply proof to the school district by Oct. 18 that they were “fully vaccinated,” are required to undergo COVID-19 testing at least once or twice weekly, “on an ongoing basis indefinitely or until fully vaccinated.”

Per Gov. Phil Murphy’s Executive Order 253 “covered workers” including full and part-time stuff from teachers to “food, custodial and administrative support services,” as well as substitute teachers either directly employed by the Board of Education or contractors - and volunteers who visit the school regularly - are among those who must abide by the policy.

Covered workers are fully vaccinated if they have at least two weeks under their belt of their second COVID shot. All are considered “unvaccinated” if they don’t provide vaccination proof to the district, which could include a CDC COVID-19 vaccine card, record from the New Jersey Immunization Information System, a record from their health care provider, a military vaccination record or digital record from the state on their mobile phone.

Workers who are considered “unvaccinated” need to give proof to the district either by testing within the school district or at “an offsite location approved by the district.” However, a covered worker who isn’t working in the district on a week when testing isn’t required, may not need to test that week.

The Board of Education may be able to revise the policy and even make it stricter than Executive Order 253, according to the policy document up for adoption, “as long as such revisions comport with the minimum requirements of Executive Order 253.”

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