LAUSD approves recommendation to delay student COVID vaccine mandate until July 2023

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Unified School District approved a recommendation to delay the implementation of its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for eligible students until at least July 1, 2023.

Last month, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho recommended that the district align with the state and delay the mandate.

The order for district employees remains in place.

"[Tuesday's] vote shows that we are a science-based school district, and the health and safety protocols we adopt are influenced by the expert advice of our medical partners and public health officials," Carvalho said in a statement. "We know that students do best when learning in the classroom with their peers. Due to the high vaccination rates among students 12 and older, low transmission rates in our schools and our nation-leading safety measures, we have preserved in-person learning in the safest possible environment."

The district reported in December, when implementation of the vaccine mandate for students was delayed until at least next fall, that the vaccination rate among eligible students aged 12 and over was nearly 90%. The rate among employees is even higher.

District officials said they plan to continue providing information about vaccinations and making the shots available to students.

"Our schools are some of the safest places for the students we serve," Board President Kelly Gonez said. "With our nation-leading safety standards, as well as our high rate of vaccinated students over 12, the conditions we find ourselves in have greatly improved. [Tuesday's] decision demonstrates that as circumstances change and evolve, the District will continue to make decisions about student safety and well-being in consultation with leading health experts and that are rooted in science."

City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.