State Superintendent Spearman: Vaccines for teachers can help ensure schools remain open

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– With the South Carolina Senate voting to move teachers and school staff to phase 1A of vaccination distribution, the Department of Education is making plans if that measure become law.

Friday morning, State Superintendent Molly Spearman met with the media to outline the options for vaccinating teachers. According to Spearman, there are four plans being considered. The first is that vaccine providers provide everything from facilities to testing and those who administer the test. The second option would be that vaccine providers provide the vaccine and the staff to administer the vaccine while the districts handle logistics. The third is the vaccine provider would only furnish the vaccine and school nurses would administer it. Lastly, vaccine providers would combine the state’s smaller districts for all vaccination.

Spearman says the vaccinations and the infrastructure needed to administer them will be paid for with nearly a billion dollars in federal funding through the CARES Act and other funds passed by Congress. Superintendent Spearman says while she believes teachers need to be back in the classroom full time, vaccines can ensure schools remain open.

Under the Senate’s plan, all districts would return to five day a week in-person teaching after spring break, but that measure has to be approved by the House.