With COVID testing underway, Highland schools navigate politics, law and staff’s health
Highland schools are beginning a testing program to meet the state requirements for all teachers to be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing, as teachers in other districts have filed suit against the requirement or requested exemption.
Superintendent Mike Sutton said last week, technically, Highland was out of compliance as the deadline for implementation was the week before. However, he said, they have laid out a plan to provide convenient testing options for all staff members who have not provided proof of vaccination.
He said there is “no excitement” about implementing the plan, but that all Illinois schools are under an executive order to comply.
“Our choices are to do nothing or do what we can while still taking the values and interests of our employees into account,” he said.
There were originally three lists, Sutton said: Vaccinated employees who have provided documentation; unvaccinated and in compliance with testing; and unvaccinated and excluded from the buildings.
A fourth list has been added: Employees who have requested an exclusion from the testing requirement under the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act. The 1998 law was originally designed to protect doctors from being sued when they refused to participate in medical procedures they personally opposed, but some teachers are now applying it to exempt themselves from testing.
As of the school board meeting Sept. 27, Sutton said he had received documentation of vaccination from 161 employees. That left 171 considered as unvaccinated, though he anticipated at least 50 employees are vaccinated and just haven’t provided the documentation yet.
Approximately 23 employees had requested an HCRCA exemption, he said.
“I have not encouraged or discouraged it,” Sutton said, but said he would honor those requests until court rulings clarify whether it applies. Sutton said the individual employee groups have done surveys of the staff, and “this is a divisive topic.”
“It is my opinion that no one should lose their job via a mandate from an executive order,” Sutton said, but added they are making “every effort” to provide enough options to the employees for convenient testing.
Sutton said the district explored bringing in an outside company to handle the testing, but the contracting companies would not go to all the school buildings, and it would be inconvenient for employees to have to go to a central location every week.
Therefore, he said school nurses will handle testing in each building, and they have partnered with the Madison County Health Department for free tests.
“We’ve provided as many options as we can possibly provide to our employees so no one has to choose between their job or their beliefs,” Sutton said. “I know it’s very controversial, but this is the way I felt would cause the least amount of division among our staff ... No matter what we did, it was not going to make everyone happy.”
However, Sutton reiterated the goal is to keep the numbers down so students can remain in in-person classes.
Last week, Highland schools had 11 students and two staff members test positive, with 23 people quarantined. The week before, 30 students tested positive, along with 29 others in quarantine.
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 11:16 AM.