LOS ANGELES, CA — California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) Chief Advocacy Officer and General Counsel Ricardo Soto issued the following statement regarding LAUSD’s vote today to mandate student and employee vaccination policy applicable to all charter public schools authorized by the LAUSD Board of Education:
Said Mr. Soto:
“Protecting the health and safety of students and their families has always been a priority for CCSA and the charter public school community – which is why charter public schools were the first in LAUSD to voluntarily implement policies requiring the vaccination of staff in Spring 2021. To date, the vast majority of charter public schools in Los Angeles already have vaccination mandates that exceed the vaccination requirements mandated by the State, and charter public schools on LAUSD property are already in compliance with the District’s mandate.
“Today’s vote mandating vaccines for all charter public schools authorized by LAUSD comes after the policy was made public just 24-hours ago and without input from the charter community. CCSA is reviewing the policy and will take the necessary steps to ensure the District works with charter public schools so that all community members are well aware of mandated timelines, policies are based on science, and parents are provided full transparency on the health and safety of their child.”
CCSA represents approximately 1,300 charter public schools across California. Charters are free, public and open to all students. Charter schools are independently operated and built on the belief that every student should have the chance to go to a high-quality public school that puts their needs first, regardless of zip code, income or academic ability level. California’s charter schools are diverse and serve a population that mirrors traditional district schools.