Nearly 90% of WA’s school employees vaccinated

State Superintendent Chris Reykdal announced Thursday that nearly 90% of Washington’s public K-12 school employees are vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Our K–12 workforce really stepped up in a way that further protects themselves, their students, colleagues, families, and their communities at large,” Reykdal said. “With our adherence to safety protocols and nearly 90% our staff vaccinated, our schools remain one of the safest environments for our children.”

Data shows that staff who work in classrooms with the closest proximity to students have the highest vaccination rate of 90.4%.

Staff who work in school buildings but are not assigned to classrooms are at 87.6%.

Staff who work in central facilities like district officers, bus barns and maintenance facilities are at 86.9%.

“Our school employees are fully vaccinated at rates of 14–18 percentage points higher than the statewide average of vaccinated adults in Washington,” Reykdal said. “This means our students are more likely to come into contact with an unvaccinated adult at the grocery store, a restaurant, or another community area than at their school.”

The data also shows 0.7% obtained a medical exemption and another 9.6% obtained a religious exemption.

Staff with approved exemptions have additional requirements like enhanced personal protective equipment, regular testing for COVID-19, additional physical distancing, change of job duties and more.

The data also shows that 0.3% of school employees did not obtain a vaccine or an exemption. That number may include employees that resigned, retired, or were separated from service.

“I’m very proud of our school employees!” Reykdal said. “As a parent and as an educator, it feels good to know that educators are always leading in their communities to support our children’s health, safety, and learning.”

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