UPDATE (8/25/2021): The School District of Philadelphia’s Board of Education voted on Tuesday night to approve a resolution to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for all School District employees.

“It is the Board’s duty to protect our children, many of whom cannot get vaccinated, and being vaccinated is the best protection against the virus,” Board President Joyce S. Wilkerson said in a statement released Tuesday evening. “We believe that preventing COVID-19 infections through vaccines will lead to fewer missed school days, more in-person learning days, and ultimately, to improved student achievement.”

Following the Board’s resolution, School District Superintendent William Hite will develop a mandatory vaccination plan that would require employees, contracted workers and service employees who work in District facilities and on District property to be fully vaccinated and to submit proof of vaccination status. The plan would also include a process to request exemptions and accommodations for certain documented medical circumstances or “sincerely” held religious beliefs. Details of the plan will be developed and shared soon with District staff and school communities.

(8/23/2021): With the 2021-2022 academic year just a week away, the School District of Philadelphia’s Board of Education is set to vote Tuesday (Aug. 24) on the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all teachers and staff working in the District. The decision on the vaccine mandate has not been made yet, according to Superintendent Dr. William Hite.

Both the District and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers have expressed support for the vaccine mandate that would help protect schoolchildren under the age of 12 who are not currently eligible for vaccines and older students who haven’t been vaccinated. Negotiations with unions were still underway on Friday, according to Hite.

The School District announced an indoor mask mandate for all staff and students earlier this month.