Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has confirmed that her city is not planning to allow remote learning for unvaccinated students, who will be blocked out of their classrooms when the new school year starts next week. Under the city’s latest school attendance policy, children aged 12 years and older must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination within the first 20 days of the new school year to continue learning in person. The policy applies to all public, private, and independent schools.
“If the student does not come into compliance within a 20-school day period, the school must remove the student from school until the immunization certification is secured by the school,” the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) states. When asked at a Thursday press briefing whether the city has a plan for those who are not compliant with the policy, Bowser replied that students must be vaccinated in order to attend school in person.
“They can go to school on Monday. But they need to get their vaccinations,” the mayor said, “Their families will be alerted as to the dates.” When pressed again about whether online instruction will be made available to unvaccinated students, Bowser said the city does not offer such an opportunity. “We’re not offering remote learning for children, and families will need to comply with what is necessary to come to school,” she said.