Los Angeles public school board to vote Thursday on student vaccine mandate

The Los Angeles Board of Education will hold a meeting on Thursday evening to vote on a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students eligible within the system.

The school board released an online agenda for the meeting and listed the following "expected outcomes" should the measure pass:

• All students who are 12 years of age and older and are part of in-person extracurricular programs must receive their first vaccine dose by no later than October 3, and their second dose by no later than October 31, 2021.
• All students who are 12 years of age and older must receive their first vaccine dose by no later than November 21, 2021 and their second dose by no later than December 19, 2021.
• All other students must receive their first vaccine dose by no later than 30 days after their 12th birthday, and their second dose by no later than 8 weeks after their 12th birthday.

The agenda said some students could be granted exemptions.

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The L.A. school board, which has faced legal battles over its strict COVID-19 policies, is "likely to be approved as a majority of board members already have said that they either favor or are leaning toward such a requirement," according to a report from the Los Angles Times.

As part of the nation's second-largest school system, Los Angeles school students and employees are tested each week and must wear face masks while indoor and outdoor. All employees for the school system have already been required to get the vaccine.

The Times also noted in its report that the "board would not likely have approved a special meeting over a vaccine mandate if it wasn’t clear that the board would approve it," adding that the topic of a vaccine mandate for school children "has apparently come up in at least two closed sessions."

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Recent data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that, as of August 29, 48% of county residents 12 to 15 years old and 57% of residents ages 16 to 17 were fully vaccinated.

On Wednesday, school board member Nick Melvoin implied that he intended to vote in favor of the mandate, saying "scientific consensus" proves everyone who is eligible to get a vaccine should do so.

"Our goal is to keep kids and teachers as safe as possible and in the classroom," Melvoin said, according to the Times. "A medical and scientific consensus has emerged that the best way to protect everyone in our schools and communities is for all those who are eligible to get vaccinated. This policy is the best way to make that happen."

The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday evening.