If an employee does not have a medical or religious exemption and refuses to get the vaccine, what specifically are ACPS' responses? Should the employee continue to report to work? Will termination of employment be the result? How long will the termination process take? When can the employee expect to be paid until?

On September 23, 2021, the School Board approved a policy that ACPS staff members will be required to submit documentation of their completed COVID-19 vaccination status by November 15, 2021. Only employees with approved medical or religious reasons may be exempted. Employees who fail to vaccinate by November 15, 2021 may be required to take leave without pay or may be separated from service. There is no specific time for these actions as each case is managed to the specific person. Please see the announcement in the ACPS Insider.

How will an employee's benefits, leave, and retirement be impacted if they fail to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate?

An employee placed on leave without pay is not paid and the employee is required to pay the full cost of continued benefits coverage while on leave. The cost the employee is required to pay for maintaining benefits coverage is the combined cost of the employee’s regular payroll deduction amount and the ACPS-paid portion. Any employee placed in this status will be advised of these consequences by the HR Office of Compensation and Benefits.

Why aren't these Vaccination & Testing processes/procedures being communicated to staff openly? Are there documented processes in place?

Please see the announcement in the ACPS Insider. Additionally, please see the earlier answered Staff FAQs below.

Is it legal for ACPS to add the COVID-19 vaccine mandate as a condition for employment if it was not stated in the 2021-2022 contract that I already signed?

Yes.

How does the school system plan to handle the vacancies the COVID-19 vaccine mandate creates? The mandate will create hundreds of vacancies across the division which is already short-staffed and stressed.

We cannot answer this hypothetical question. The vacancy and hiring process continues per routine.

If a staff member has a medical exemption preventing them from becoming vaccinated, will their current job description, job location, and salary remain the same? Or will they be reassigned based on their vaccination status as a way of "punishing" them due to them not being able to get the vaccine?

If a person is granted an exception to vaccination, the person will be required to complete weekly COVID-19 testing. This requirement should not impact work responsibilities.

Vaccination Information for Staff

Can staff who have already been vaccinated get the weekly testing?

There is a high interest in this service and efforts will be underway to coordinate that opportunity in the future; more information will be shared once it is available. Currently, the priority is to test staff who have not yet been vaccinated.

What does it mean to be "fully vaccinated"?

To be "fully vaccinated," an individual must have received their final dose of either the one-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson) or two-dose vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer) and two weeks must have passed since their final dose.

Will the numbers of vaccinated staff be shared with parents?

Yes, the number of vaccinated staff will be shared with the community, but not individual names associated with those numbers.

Where can I get tested?

Currently, staff will be responsible for getting tested at a specific location on their own. Visit the City of Alexandria’s “Where to Get Tested” page for available testing sites. As of August 30, 2021, it is not available at individual work locations. ACPS is in the process of selecting a third-party vendor to provide this service in the near future.

Will there be any student testing?

Yes, there are plans to provide testing for students later this fall.

If parents ask me if I'm vaccinated, am I required to tell them?

If parents ask for your individual vaccination status, you are not required to disclose that information. It is your choice if you want to disclose that information.