Democrat District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced that all students will need to be vaccinated to attend school — and they will not be offering a virtual option for those who do not take it.
Mayor Bowser discussed the mandate during a press conference on Thursday.
A reporter from the Daily Signal asked Mayor Bowser what the plan was for the students who do not take the vaccine and will be left without an education.
Bowser responded that "they can go to school on Monday. But they need to get their vaccinations… and their families will be alerted as to the dates."
The district will be giving students 20 days to provide their vaccination certificates before they are removed from the school.
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education for DC said in a statement that, "all students must have up-to-date immunization certification on file with the school within the first 20 school days or they will not be allowed to attend school or school activities until the immunization certification is secured by the school."
The Daily Signal report noted that over 40% of black people ages 12-17 are not vaccinated in DC.
When asked by the reporter if students will have the option of virtual learning, the mayor confirmed that they will not — and therefore families "need to comply."
“We’re not offering remote learning for children, and families will need to comply with what is necessary to come to school,” Bowser asserted.
The mandate does not only apply to public schools, but private ones as well."District law and regulations require all schools in the District of Columbia, including private, parochial and independent schools, to verify student compliance with the immunization requirements as part of enrollment and attendance," according to the statement from the Office of the State Superintendent. "If a student is not compliant, the school must immediately notify the parent, guardian, or adult student in writing of the missing immunization(s). If the student does not come into compliance within a 20-school day period, the school must remove the student from school until the immunization certification is secured by the school."
In addition to the vaccine, students will also be required to “provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result before the start of the 2022-2023 school year.”
The school year begins in the district on Monday.
