Phil Kavits, Director of Communication Services for Prince William County Schools, addressed the Virginia Department of Education memo to Virginia Superintendents, instructing school divisions to enroll unaccompanied minor immigrants as they would homeless students even before they receive vaccinations.
According to Kavits, residents should not be alarmed by this memo.
He verified that there is not really going to be a significant difference in the number of children who are enrolled before receiving vaccinations this school year.
“There is not a big difference between what happens every year when a certain amount of students come in without immunization, and they get them very quickly."
PWCS has not seen an increased enrollment of those who would qualify for such an exception.
Although unaccompanied minor children are being housed at the Youth for Tomorrow campus in Bristow, those children are being educated there sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services. While PWCS has to comply with the memo, the division is not being noticeably affected, although the perception may be otherwise.
“There seems to be a misconception that we are expecting a huge flood [of immigrants, documented or otherwise.] We’ve not been given any indication to anticipate that at this time,” Kavits said.
Because a homeless student cannot depend upon their parents to schedule their immunizations, Kavits said the school division works with the Prince William Health District to get students the required immunizations “as soon as possible.”
The Prince William Health District is an agency funded by the governments of Prince William County and Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
Because the district refers newly enrolled students right away, students with those special circumstances will either start school with their immunizations or get them very shortly afterwards, either way, it is something the school division monitors, he said.
Kavits reminds sixth grade parents that rules have changed for immunizations and all students entering sixth grade must present proof that they have received the Tdap vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis before starting school this year. There is no longer an exemption for those under 11 years of age. More information can be found on pwcs.edu.
However, Kavits said that in the case of homeless or unaccompanied minor children, as per the memo, they will still be enrolled, and then the district will work to make sure they get those required immunizations right away as they would any other immunization.
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