Title
Supervisor Turnboo recommending the Board:
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 145-2021 declaring the opposition to vaccine mandates for school children;
2) Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to draft a letter to Governor Newsom supporting the November 9, 2021 letter from County Superintendents to the Governor; and
3) Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to return to the Board on December 7, 2021 with the draft letter for the Board to approve.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On October 21, 2021 Governor Newsom announced plans to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required to attend school in-person when the vaccine receives full approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for middle and high school grades. The Board of Supervisors desires to express opposition to vaccine mandates in both the public or private context. The Board of Supervisors proposes that individuals and families choose the measures they want to take against COVID-19 as opposed to a mandate set forth by the government.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could decide not to approve the Resolution.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
El Dorado County Office of Education
FINANCIAL IMPACT
N/A
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Obtain the Chair's signature on Resolution and return a copy to District II.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Healthy Communities/Economic Development
This item is necessary to advocate for families making their own choices for their children. Many school districts in our county may experience declining enrollment due to the Governor’s child COVID-19 vaccine mandate. This declining enrollment puts the educational needs of students at risk, because the funding for school districts may decrease. A decline in funding puts the employment of teachers and school employees at risk, and can also lead to a decrease in academic opportunities for our county’s school-aged children. This decline in enrollment and funding for schools goes against the county’s strategic goal of ‘Increasing employment opportunities by improving workforce development skills’. If a sizeable portion of our county’s children are not able to attend public school, they could experience mental illness and an increased exposure to illegal substances. This goes against the county’s Healthy Communities strategic goal, which includes, ‘Achieve better outcomes for children, young adults and families in the areas of mental illness and substance abuse prevention.’ The County Board of Supervisors influence in supporting this resolution could help families advocate at a state legislative level.
CONTACT
Todd White x5651