Fayette County school board supports teacher vaccinations

Fayette County’s Board of Education has passed a resolution that encourages state officials to prioritize COVID-19 vaccinations for teachers. The board voted 5-0 in favor of the measure at its Feb. 22 meeting. The resolution states that “teachers and school personnel put their health at risk each day” to fulfill their instructional duties, and that despite mitigation efforts, “the virus is still spreading in schools and communities.” On Feb. 19, Fayette reported 132 students and staff who either tested positive and/or were quarantined that week. Cases have been higher previously.

The resolution also notes that some students are falling behind academically because of having to switch between in-person and virtual classes; some individual school schedules have recently been affected by local spikes in virus cases. The resolution asks that teachers and school personnel be added to the Phase 1a category of Georgia’s vaccination rollout plan. School nurses have already been vaccinated.