93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
Columbia Public Schools does not expect a return to traditional five-day-a-week learning until its teachers and staff are vaccinated.
That is what superintendent Peter Stiepleman said during Monday night’s board of education meeting. He added most of his employees are not in the tiers getting vaccinated right now on the state’s priority list.
“We were optimistic that the vaccine would be available in two weeks,” Stiepleman said. “That optimism was not rewarded by an actual supply of the vaccine.”
Stiepleman says 300 CPS employees, or about 10% of the district’s workforce, have been vaccinated. Most teachers and staff are in Phase 1B, Tier 3 of the state’s vaccine priority list. Missouri is currently vaccinating the large group of people in Phase 1B, Tier 2. That includes vulnerable populations like those 65 and older, and people with certain health conditions. At Missouri’s current rate, it would take several months for all CPS employees to get a shot, but more supply could be coming soon.
CPS elementary students have been learning in-person four days a week since Jan. 19. Older students are in a two-day-a-week hybrid model. Stiepleman says local health officials recommend staying in that learning mode for now.
“I don’t know any other way to say it: we will get to what everybody wants when we have our vaccine.”
