Sault area school boards release current staff vaccination numbers

Sault and area school boards have begun to count how many of their staff members - and others who visit schools - attest they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

All publicly-funded school boards are required by the province to disclose vaccination status rates for teachers and other staff employed by a school board. 

The Ministry of Education, in August, announced its intention to introduce vaccination disclosure policies for all publicly-funded school board employees.

The policy applies to all staff and others (such as visitors, volunteers, contractors, other professionals and school bus drivers) in direct contact with students and/or staff for the 2021-22 school year.

School board staff and contractors were required to submit a formal attestation if they were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Local school boards reported the formal attestations were submitted with or without documentation to prove vaccination status.

Ontario school boards were then required to publicly post the depersonalized statistical information by Sept. 15 and continue to update it monthly.

Those who attest to being unvaccinated and do not provide a medical reason are required to complete a vaccination education program prescribed by the Ministry of Education. 

The vaccination rates for Sault and area school boards are as follows: 

Algoma District School Board (ADSB):

• 88 per cent of staff (out of 1,988 staff members) have so far attested to being fully vaccinated, 10 per cent are unvaccinated, another two per cent have had one vaccination

Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (H-SCDSB), as of Sept. 17, 2021:

• Out of a total of 1,154 individuals to which this policy applies, 732 (64 per cent) attest to being fully vaccinated, with and without supporting documentation 
• 370 (32 per cent) have not yet submitted the attestation

These numbers included all full-time, part-time, casual employees and trustees of the board.

Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Nouvel-Ontario (CSC Nouvelon), as of Sept. 15, 2021:

• Out of 1,482 school board employees and 911 others (contractors, for example), 1,082 staff (73 per cent) and 552 others (60 per cent) attested to being fully vaccinated (with or without supporting documentation)

Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario (CSPGNO):

• 453 school board employees and trustees (out of 634 in total) have attested to being fully vaccinated with or without supporting documentation
• 626 of 757 others (contractors, for example) have attested to being fully vaccinated with supporting documentation