Pasadena Unified again delays action on coronavirus vaccine mandate

Pasadena Unified School District once again delayed a vote on a vaccine mandate on Thursday, Oct. 21, following hours of discussion on the district’s coronavirus response protocols.

This week’s school board meeting featured another contentious conversation between board members who have been divided over whether or not the Pasadena Unified should strengthen its safety measures by requiring all eligible staff and students to be vaccinated in order to continue on-campus activities.

The subject was first broached during a meeting on Aug. 5 that spurred lively debate, tears and a plea to vote on the matter. The board, however, didn’t take action at the time because the discussion wasn’t part of the agenda. Board president Scott Phelps was on vacation, too, so important input from all of the district’s leaders was missing.

After months of waiting, an item on vaccine mandates finally found its way to the agenda this week. As a result, board members Kimberly Kenne and Tina Fredericks attempted to gauge interest on a mandate for everybody who is 16 and older.

“The mandate is here — make no mistake about it,” Fredericks said, noting the deadline for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide mandate for students and staff is no later than July 1, 2022.

“There’s a lot to do and the more we try and split it up and get a little done at a time,” Kenne said, “the better.”

Their efforts were opposed by Elizabeth Pomeroy, who argued the group should wait for its board president to be present. Phelps has been absent three times when the topic of vaccination has been agendized. Phelps did not return calls for comment.

“It seems to me we need to have our board president watch the video of this discussion before we think about what agenda item — if any — will be formulated in the very near future,” Pomeroy said.

“I don’t know how we get to future action, if we don’t start talking now,” Kenne said.

Board member Jennifer Hall Lee told her the board doesn’t need to talk about the subject right now.

“I don’t understand what the next step is,” Kenne said in response.

“We don’t need to know that right now,” Hall interrupted.

“As far as I’m concerned,” Pomeroy said, the next step is to ask our president to listen to this discussion. He will form his own conclusions with the superintendent and with the staff about whether there should be an agenda item.”