West Contra Costa Unified cancels special board meeting on vaccine mandate

West Contra Costa Unified cancelled a special board meeting scheduled for Tuesday in which school board members would decide whether or not to require eligible students to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

West Contra Costa Unified was poised to be the first district in Northern California to impose a vaccine mandate for students as well as staff, but now nearby Oakland Unified will likely be the first. Oakland Unified’s school board is voting on a vaccine mandate at its school board meeting Wednesday.

West Contra Costa Unified’s potential mandate garnered attention across Bay Area media. Los Angeles Unified and Culver City Unified in Southern California had already announced vaccine mandates.

West Contra Costa Unified school board member Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy, who co-authored the resolution, said he plans to request it at Wednesday’s regular school board meeting. That means it will come for a vote at a later date.