INNISFAIL - The 12,000-student Chinook’s School Division (CESD) has adopted a harm reduction administrative procedure that will require all staff, trustees, practicum students and volunteers to either provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or commit to rapid testing effective Jan. 10, 2022, officials said.
During last week’s board meeting, trustees approved the new procedure for all schools in the division. The procedure does not apply to students, parents or school visitors.
On Oct. 5 the provincial government said it was encouraging school authorities to develop protocols that require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for teachers, staff and anyone who enters a school.
CESD superintendent Kurt Sacher says the new procedure addresses requirements set out by Occupational Health and Safety, Alberta Education, Alberta Health Services, and division insurance providers.
“We believe that these steps will actually help preserve in-person, in-class, in-school uninterrupted learning and uninterrupted operations,” Sacher told The Albertan.
“It was really important to the board that we had a plan that respected the personal choice of individual staff members. COVID-19 is now defined as a workplace hazard by Occupational Heath and Safety, so that was a key consideration.
“In our discussions with insurance providers, there is concern about the liability connected with COVID-19, which could cause increases in premiums for school divisions that don’t have a harm reduction procedure of this nature for staff.”
Under the new procedure, vaccination and testing status will be confirmed through a confidential process, he said.
The division will be covering the cost of the rapid testing for staff until the end of the 2021-2022 school year, he said, noting the division currently has about 18,000 test kits on hand.
“If we were to run out and need more, we would take (cost) responsibility for that,” he said.
Contractors, practicum students and volunteers will have to pay for their own rapid testing, the procedure states.
The procedure also includes a provision for medically-approved exemptions under the Alberta Human Rights Act.
Regarding non-compliance, the procedure states, in part, that the division will “review each instance of non-compliance considering the contest and circumstances, including any request for accommodation due to a protected ground under the Alberta Human Rights Act.”
Asked if non-compliance with the administrative procedure would result in the individual being terminated, Sacher said, “No, they would not be let go; we are not interested in that. What we would do is try to work with the individual to see if there is some creative way that we work together because we greatly appreciate our staff and we need our staff and we don’t want to lose any staff through this transition.”
The procedure also includes a prevention of harassment, bullying and discrimination section, which states, in part, that: “harassment, bullying or discrimination of any type against individuals based on their vaccination status, compliance with this administrative procedure or any other reason will not be tolerated.”
Staff members, including teachers, will be provided with detailed information regarding the new procedure this week, he said.
“This temporary procedure is our best response to the current public health crisis, so that we can put our strongest efforts into providing a safe working and learning environment for our students and staff,” he said.
CESD includes schools in Innisfail, Olds, Didsbury, Sundre, Carstairs, Cremona, Bowden and Mountain View County.
Red Deer Catholic Regional School division is currently gathering information about a possible vaccination policy, officials said.
