Nevada Union High School is the first in Nevada County, and one of the few in the state, so far, that’s now requiring students to be vaccinated, or provide regular negative COVID test results, in order to stay in the classroom. Nevada Joint Union High School District Superintendent, Brett McFadden, says there are now well over 60 infections, districtwide, with the majority at NU, making it what’s described as a community outbreak site…

click to listen to Brett McFadden

McFadden says there’s also less clear guidance from the state, compared to last year, when there were no vaccines available yet…

click to listen to Brett McFadden

A California Department of Public Health Outbreak Response Team offered testing and vaccinations at Silver Springs High School last Friday and at NU Saturday and Monday. Bear River High was not included. McFadden says around 500 of the 16-hundred NU students did not attend to class, as of Monday morning, because they were either unable or unwilling to submit to the new requirements. But McFadden expects that number to drop significantly as the week progresses. Any students not submitting to the mandates will be offered independent study options. Several dozen students and parents protested outside the NU campus Monday morning. McFadden says some also walked onto the campus before peacefully dispersing. School staffs are already mandated statewide.