ST. LOUIS — Before the first bell rings at Vashon High School Monday, there won't be students filling the halls. The district's teachers will line up for St. Louis Public Schools' mass vaccination clinic.
"We had teachers that were about to resign or quit," SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams said of the teachers who were willing to walk away from their positions because they couldn't come back to work without a vaccine.
When Gov. Mike Parson announced the teachers' vaccine eligibility tier would open Monday, Adams said they surveyed staff and found 86% of their employees said they'd want the vaccine when it became available.
Adams said 1,200 of their staff members will get shots at the 4-day Vashon clinic this week.
"We didn't want to lose any employees and this came as an opportunity to have our teachers vaccinated, prepared, and ready to get back into class as early as next week," Adams said.
The clinic will be staffed with Missouri National Guard members, and it was organized by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
"Just to be in place to be of service right now, it is very humbling," Urban League's James Clark said.
Clark said they've set up clinics for SLPS, as well as educators with Ferguson-Florrisant, Jennings, Hazelwood, Riverview and University City.
The organization's also working on events for people in other Tier 3 fields as well, including Schnucks grocery store staff and postal workers.
"We are being very methodical and moving forward in an organized fashion to get the vaccine out in the St. Louis metropolitan area," Clark said. "It's very important. It's a life-saving mission."
And as Vashon prepares to open their doors for teachers, they say it's a vital step to welcoming students back too.
"The number of students who have indicated that they want to come back to school, Has increased from 40% to about 50% over the last few weeks as we get ready for the fourth quarter. So this is a critical piece for us," Adam said.