The Louisiana Department of Health sets statewide school immunization requirements, but districts can request permission to include additional vaccines for their students. As of Tuesday, St. Tammany, Jefferson, St. Bernard and NOLA Public Schools have no plans to make that request.
The school district is offering $25 for an initial test, then $10 for subsequent tests.
Following full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, LDH has no timeline yet for adding COVID shots to the required vaccine list for K-12 schools.
District schools reported a dramatic spike in cases and hospitalizations this week.
If approved, the policy would require about 200 people directly employed by the district to be fully vaccinated by the end of next month. Several charter school operators have already adopted similar policies for their employees.
The district has reported 370 cases in the early weeks of the school year, nearly half the total for all of last school year.
The policy would require central office staff to get vaccinated by the end of September.
The district is encouraging charter schools to consider mandates as well.
Orleans Parish public schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr. is set to step down next summer.
One New Orleans campus had to close its middle school due to a COVID-related staffing shortage. St. Tammany Parish schools reports 54 student cases, 26 staff cases.
