OUSD Board Resolution: Vaccine Requirement

  • The OUSD Board of Education adopted a Board Policy in October, which requires COVID-19 vaccines for all students ages 12 and up, starting January 1, 2022. For all students who are age 12+ as of 12/1/2021, they must get vaccinated or qualify for an exemption to attend school in-person in the spring of 2022. A final version of the adopted Policy is available here. The requirement also applies to all charter schools that operate on District-owned property or that seek to have their students participate in Oakland Athletic League (OAL) activities or compete against OAL teams. The State of California is also moving forward with a COVID-19 requirement of its own, which will take effect prior to the start of the 2022-2023 school year. Ultimately, this means that all California students will need to be fully vaccinated next school year once required by the state, unless they have a qualified exemption.

    There are several exemptions in the OUSD Board Policy for the spring of 2022, including a medical exemption, a personal belief exemption, and an exemption for students who have received their first or second shots but are not yet fully vaccinated. (An individual must wait two weeks after their second shot to be considered fully vaccinated.) All non-exempted, unvaccinated students will be offered the opportunity to transfer to the District’s independent study program at Sojourner Truth.

  • How to get vaccinated
    To get vaccinated, please visit your healthcare provider, local pharmacy, community vaccine clinic, or any of our upcoming     school-based vaccine clinics. Vaccines are currently available at CVS and Walgreens. Appointments at Safeway are coming soon. Please continue to check these sites online, as more appointments will open up.

    Healthcare providers, including Kaiser, Sutter Health, and Stanford Health Care, are also scheduling appointments.

    You can also visit MyTurn.CA.gov or www.Vaccines.gov to find clinics and pharmacies that are offering the Pfizer vaccine and have open appointments for patients ages five and older.

    We have been hosting on-campus vaccine clinics in partnership with the county all semester, and will continue doing so at multiple schools through January. Remember that COVID-19 vaccines are free, safe, and effective, and are our best form of protection as we move into this holiday season.

  • How to share vaccination card
    If your child has been vaccinated, please send a copy of their vaccination card to vaccinestatus_student@ousd.org. All families who have a child 12 or older, whose record we do not have, will receive text, emails, and phone calls asking for updated vaccination information over the next several weeks.

    Please make sure we have your child’s updated vaccination status, including a copy of their vaccination card. In January, we will be raffling off some exciting prizes for all fully vaccinated students ages 12+ including tickets to see the Golden State Warriors play at Chase Center! (People who are unvaccinated cannot enter the arena.) All students who are 12+ by 12/1/2021, who have been fully vaccinated by 1/1/2022 and whose vaccination status is on file with the district, will be entered to win!

  • How to transfer to SJT
    If you would like to enroll your student in long-term independent study at Sojourner Truth, please fill out the referral form. If there is not space available at your child’s grade level, they will be placed on the waiting list until space becomes available. While your child is on the waiting list, they are exempt from the vaccine requirement, and may continue attending their current school in person. If you have questions about the enrollment process for Sojourner Truth, please contact xochilt.monterrosa@ousd.org.