UPDATE 12/2/2021: Dr. Landahl responded to ALBB’s request for current staff vaccination rates: “We are at an 84% staff vaccination rate: 86% for teachers/admins, 83% all other staff.” The title of this article originally said “Near 80%” and has been edited to say 84%.

Craig Wolf, retired journalist for the Poughkeepsie Journal, and current Board Member for Beacon’s Board of Education (BOE) for the Beacon City School District, asked Beacon’s Superintendent of Schools Dr. Landahl during his COVID Update at the end of the 11/8/2021 Board of Education meeting about staff vaccinations.

Craig asked: "How are we doing in terms of vaccinations for our staff?"

Dr. Landahl answered: "About a month ago it was about 73% of our employees were vaccinated." The district staff had not tallied the numbers as of this BOE meeting in early November, but Dr. Landahl felt comfortable estimating that it had increased to close to 80% by early November. Staff vaccinations are recorded in broad terms, and not identified by department or type of staff, Dr. Landahl explained.

"Every week we have a few more folks who get vaccinated," Dr. Landahl expanded.

ALBB has requested the percentage closer to December, but did so close to this publishing, and is awaiting response. When and if an update comes in, this article will be updated. We are binge-listening to the BOE meetings for updates as well. if you are further ahead of us and know the answer, do send a link and video minute notation.

School Employees In New York Have The Choice To Get Vaccinated

School employees have the choice to get vaccinated, or go through weekly testing, as is the mandate from the New York State level. It is not one the Beacon City School District can make unique to their district. Wearing a mask in school is also mandated at the New York State level by Governor Kathy Hochul. She did this to create a safer space for students and staff to attend school in person, and possibly, remove safety precautions and extra layers of safety during an air-born based pandemic later on if enough people are vaccinated, which could reduce the ability for the virus to mutate.

From New York State's press release: "Governor Kathy Hochul today (9/2/2021) announced that her strategy to reopen schools safely took a major leap forward on two fronts, demonstrating her administration's commitment to making the health and well-being of students, teachers, and families a top priority. Earlier today, the Public Health and Health Planning Council passed an emergency regulation and the Health Commissioner issued a determination requiring all teachers, administrators and other school employees to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing unless they show proof of vaccination, with either a CDC vaccine card or the Excelsior Pass."

How Has The Anti-Vaxx Reaction Been At Beacon’s Board Of Education Meetings?

Very civil. A handful of people have come out to speak at the Public Comment portion of the beginning of the meetings both in support and not of vaccinations for teachers, masks for kids, and required weekly testing for the unvaccinated. Beacon’s Board of Education President Meredith Heuer has thanked participants for being cordial during this time of potential discord nation-wide. Board Member Kristan Flynn has also thanked meeting attendees for their calm manner in delivering opposing viewpoints.

The local paper, the Highland Current, was the first to report one of the first voices of dissent from a staff member on the vaccine mandate. Beacon City School District staff member who identified herself as Laurie Malin (pronounced “maleen” with a hard “e”) each time she speaks against vaccines and testing (an early time was 9/13/2021). The Highlands Current - and current students - confirmed that she is a science teacher at Rombout Middle School. She is tenured, as confirmed by Rombout Middle School’s Principal, Brian Soltish. Laurie spoke publicly and strongly against getting vaccinated, as well as against getting testing tested weekly in exchange for choosing to not get vaccinated.

In her reasoning for not getting regularly tested, she stated commonly debunked theories, which you can listen to here at the beginning of the meeting. While repeating her information in this article risks re-spreading that misinformation, one of the articles debunking what she said can be found here at Reuters, a national and internationally syndicated news source.

In another article, ALBB might transcribe Laurie Malin’s comments in order to provide further background of her future actions at public meetings and in front of students in her classroom.