Schools

Barrington Schools Requiring Teachers To Get COVID-19 Vaccine

Teachers in Barrington Public Schools have to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1, or they may risk termination.

Barrington joined West Warwick and Newport as the only public school districts to mandate faculty and staff be vaccinated.
Barrington joined West Warwick and Newport as the only public school districts to mandate faculty and staff be vaccinated. (Ethan Duran/Patch)

BARRINGTON, RI — Barrington became the third public school district in Rhode Island to require teachers and staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Superintendent Michael Messore told the Providence Journal Barrington school employees have until Nov. 1 to get the vaccine. Those that don't could face unpaid leave or termination. According to Messore, nearly 90 percent of the district's full-time employees are already fully vaccinated. Messore said there's been reluctance with five or six teachers.

Barrington joined West Warwick and Newport as the only public school districts to mandate faculty and staff be vaccinated. The Achievement First charter schools and the Rhode Island School for the Deaf also require vaccinations for teachers and staff.

Find out what's happening in Barringtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

School staff can apply for a vaccine exemption. If school officials deny the exemption, the employee will be placed on leave and fired if they are still unvaccinated after Dec. 31, the Associated Press reported. A spokesperson for the National Education Association Rhode Island teachers' union said the union will advise members seeking an exemption to the mandate. Exemptions are expected to go before the school committee next Thursday.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here