The Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education amended the district's COVID-19 safety protocols during a Monday evening board meeting.
A controversial conversation regarding mandated COVID-19 vaccines for staff members was never officially voted on by the board. The district says more than 70% of its faculty and staff have been vaccinated.
More: Cincinnati Public Schools' unions want incentives, not a requirement, for COVID-19 vaccines
Last week Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 244, which includes language that prevents public schools and universities from requiring COVID-19 vaccines because they were approved for emergency use authorization, a rigorous process that's short of full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.
The bill will take 90 days to go into effect and vaccines could receive full FDA approval by then, making the language moot.
More: GOP lawmaker's bill would ban mask requirements at Ohio's public schools, universities
The board again did not vote on the vaccine requirement and barely discussed it during Monday night's board meeting. They did, however, discuss and amend other safety protocols.
COVID-19 related safety protocols implemented at the start of the 2020-2021 school year included taking temperature checks at school building entrances, staggered bus arrivals and departures, wearing masks and social distancing.
On Monday, the board agreed the following protocols are no longer required:
- Temperature checks at building entrances.
- Staggered bus arrival and departure.
The following activities are now permitted:
- Field trips.
- Visitors and volunteers in school buildings, as long as they follow all safety protocols.
- Work-related travel.
- Shared materials among students, such as crayons, pencils, etc.
- Three feet minimum social distancing during meals when masks are removed.
The board has yet to agree on amended quarantine requirements or mask requirements for yellow school buses. Masks are still required for everyone while inside school buildings.
CPS is encouraging students and families to receive their COVID-19 vaccines. Students can get vaccinated at clinics hosted at CPS school buildings, in partnership with the Cincinnati Health Department:
- July 21 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Woodward Career Technical High School, 7005 Reading Road.
- July 22 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Roselawn Condon School, 1594 Summit Road.
- July 23 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Dater Montessori School, 2840 Boudinot Avenue.
Anyone 12 years of age or older is eligible to receive a vaccine.
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