By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
At the regular Monday night meeting, the Brandon Board of Education voted 7-0 to approve their COVID-19 Vaccination joint resolution. The resolution is in collaboration with Oxford schools, and requests that in-person educators and school staff members receive priority during phase 1b vaccinations.
Other parties in favor of the resolution include Dr. Karl Heidrich, Brandon superintendent, the Brandon Education Association, the Brandon Administrator Association, the Brandon Education support personnel, the Maintenance and Operations Association, the Teamsters union, the food service employees, and staff in Oxford schools.

“This week, the state of Michigan announced that teachers and other school staff will be able to receive the COVID vaccination as part of the next group in priority of distribution,” said Diane Salter, trustee.
“While all school districts welcome this news, the Brandon school district and other local districts who have maintained in-person learning options from day one as one of their many options for families have particular interest in the availability of the vaccine.”
Salter also expressed disappointment about the distribution process, as in-person staff members were not given priority for vaccinations.
“Information received leading up to this point regarding the vaccinations and the role of Oakland County intermediate school district and the Oakland County Health Department, created an understanding and expectation, that within the next group for which the vaccinations are available, a prioritizing of the distribution would be established based on those who have the highest level of risk, whether it is because of where they work or because of their age,” said Salter. “I was told Oakland Schools, through collaboration with the Oakland County Health department, was spearheading an effort to roll out the first wave of vaccinations among those in the phase 1b group. Given these communications, and assertions, and their roles in serving and leading on behalf of the county school districts, the announcement of the availability of the vaccine without a plan for prioritizing school district staff was unexpected and extremely concerning.”
Salter went on to say that during a meeting with Oakland Schools and OCHD, she had asked why there wasn’t a plan for prioritization, and she was met with silence.
“School districts have been encouraged and recommended that school buildings should remain open if their level of spread was of low risk, controlled, and addressed per data of that school district,” she said. “We followed that recommendation. We now need Oakland Schools and the OCHD, as leaders of the vaccination distribution initiative, to prioritize those carrying out those recommendations on the front line.”