LCSD1 watches OSHA’s legal stay to keep staff and students in schools

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - Laramie Country School District 1 is preparing its teachers and school for the possibility of vaccine mandate.

A legal stay or pause puts a hold on the Federal Vaccine Mandate that the Biden administration is trying to enforce.

LCSD1 will fall under the mandate if the rules go through.

“We’re doing whatever we can to limit the number of students that can be quarantined, to keep all of our staff healthy and in place, so they can be available to teach and support our students. If the federal mandate passes this would mean the school district would have to start keeping records on who is vaccinated or weekly testing results,” said Vicki Thompson, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources- LCSD1.

Officials with the district say about 60 percent of LCSD1staff are vaccinated.

They have had some exemption requests and look at them on a case-by-case basis.

LCSD1has spoken to the City and County Health Departments to help provide weekly testing sites for employees who don’t get vaccinated.

“They (employees) don’t want to go through all these additional hoops and might leave us, or decide to take leaves of absences or quit or retire early. I think it’s also going to impact us with hiring staff. We’re already facing a major labor shortage, like most employers are, so I think this is going to be another challenge that we would have, hiring new employees,” said Thompson.

Employees would have to be vaccinated by December 21st to meet the January 4th deadline.

Several states, including Wyoming, are pushing back against the possible Federal Vaccine Mandate or need for weekly Covid testing on employees.

Copyright 2021 Wyoming News Now. All rights reserved.