Superintendent of Rocky View Schools (RVS) Greg Luterbach announced an administrative procedure where adults entering RVS buildings would be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 rapid test.
“We built our administrative procedure on what we heard from others, getting specialized legal advice, having an executive team looking at it, and brought it to our administrative procedure advisory committee to collect feedback,” Luterbach said.
The administrative procedure would apply to all groups, including staff, contractors in the building, bus drivers, volunteers in schools, and parents coming to watch sports games, or picking up their children.
It was determined that if any adult including parents, the courier person, the mail person, even the skip the dishes delivery person was only going to the school office they don’t need to provide proof of immunization or a negative COVID-19 rapid test.
“If they are going beyond that, they want to meet face to face with the teacher or principal, then parents are going to have to provide proof,” Luterbach said.
Adding, “We are going to require proof of immunization or a negative COVID-19 rapid test result for all adults, it does not apply to RVS students, this is about other adults in our facilities, buildings, and schools.”
The requirement will take effect on Jan. 3, 2022.
“We really have built it as a multiple pathway solution where people can prove their immunization status using the Alberta QR Code or they can go with the rapid test and work their way through that, and it’s more than acceptable,” Luterbach said.
It’s anticipated that RVS staff who chose not to get immunized or have a frequent COVID-19 rapid test would be put on a leave without pay and benefits.
“This is about trying to keep our staff and students safe. It’s consistent in the approach we’re taking in RVS, by looking at the recommendations and guidance from government and the Chief Medical Officer, we built an administrative procedure that addresses that,” Luterbach said.
“This is not without controversy, and we know some people don’t support this idea,” he added. “We’ve been creative and finding other ways to support people, and we will continue to support remote options for phone calls and online meetings, that isn’t changing at all.”
The administrative procedure is temporary and will look to the guidance of government authorities for when is an appropriate time to terminate the procedure.
Ward 1 RVS Trustee Shali Baziuk believes the administrative procedure is the right balance in complying with government COVID-19 protocols and giving RVS families options in how they want to go forward.
“It’s not easy to have various viewpoints, they also have the provincial recommendation. This strikes the right balance, this is the best we can do, it’s not a great circumstance, nobody wants to be put in a position in trying to put this in place,” Baziuk said.
Adding, “I find it fair and balanced, and there are opportunities for people to make choices.”
