COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for PPS Contractors (Updated 11/22/22)

Portland Public Schools, in compliance with Oregon Administrative Rule 333-019-1030, requires all contractors (including any employees or agents of contractors) who will have direct or indirect contact with PPS students as a result of their contract, whether at PPS schools or other sites, to be fully vaccinated* against COVID-19 or have an approved medical or religious exception. Contractors and their employees and agents who are not fully vaccinated or who do not have an approved exception will not be permitted to have direct or indirect contact with students.  

*"Fully vaccinated" means having received both doses of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or one dose of a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine and at least 14 days have passed since the individual’s final dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

If you are unsure whether the vaccination requirement applies to you, please contact your PPS contract manager to discuss further.

Contractor Vaccination FAQs

Please note that we may continue to update these FAQs and add additional questions and answers over the coming weeks.  

Which PPS contractors must be vaccinated or have an approved medical or religious exception? 

Contractors who, as a result of their contract, have direct or indirect contact with PPS students must be vaccinated.

Exceptions:

• Contractors who are not on or in district facilities and do not otherwise have direct or indirect contact with students are not subject to the vaccination mandate. 
• Contractors who perform services at school sites but will not have direct or indirect contact with students (including construction, tech install, and repair and maintenance personnel who are not working in portions of buildings that are occupied by students) are not subject to the vaccination mandate. 
• Contractors who perform services at school sites but will not have direct or indirect contact with students (including construction, tech install, and repair and maintenance personnel who may on occasion work in portions of buildings that are occupied by students) are not subject to the vaccination mandate but must follow the guidance, restrictions, and additional safety measures specified here at all times while working in student-occupied portions of buildings.
• Individuals making deliveries (e.g., parcel delivery or laundry pick-up or drop-off) and emergency service providers (e.g., paramedics and other emergency personnel, utility workers, emergency repair persons) are not subject to the vaccination mandate. 
• Individuals working outside on school sites but not working with students are not subject to the vaccination mandate as long as they maintain significant distance from students  at all times.

In addition, the following school and therapeutic program contractors will follow the vaccine requirements of their home school, pursuant to OAR 333-019-1030, and do not need to complete the attestation for PPS:

• Contracts under which PPS pays for a PPS student to attend an existing, independent, off-site educational or therapeutic program that operates independently of PPS, as mandated by an IEP or settlement or as directed by families
• Contracts under which PPS provides mandatory educational services in or at an existing, independent off-site program or placement serving PPS students (e.g., contracts in which PPS provides educational programming at day and residential treatment facilities where PPS students are housed)
• Charter School contracts

Does the vaccine requirement apply to contractors who do not work in a school setting?

The vaccination requirement applies to contractors who, as a result of their contract, work directly or indirectly with PPS students in a school setting OR off-site  (e.g., bus drivers and others who transport students, mentors who meet students or families off-site)

Contractors who do not work on site and do not have any direct or indirect contact with our students are not required to comply with the vaccination requirement.

What does fully vaccinated mean?

Per the CDC, you are considered fully vaccinated:

• two weeks after your second dose in a two-dose vaccine series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine

Will there be a requirement to get booster shots?

At this time there is no provision in the rule for additional doses or booster shots. You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after your single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. With reasonable notice, the district reserves the right to require additional doses or boosters. 

Who is responsible for obtaining proof of vaccination or documentation of an exception?

Contractors will be responsible for obtaining proof of vaccination or exception documentation and maintaining this documentation in accordance with state and federal laws for two years pursuant to OAR 339-019-1030.  Contractors will attest to abiding by this Oregon Health Authority requirement and will provide the proof of vaccination to OHA upon request.

Do I need to submit a picture/photocopy of my vaccine card or my agents’/employees’ vaccine cards or other records to PPS? 

No, not at this time.

To whom do I report a positive Covid-19 case?

Immediately report a positive test result to the PPS contract manager.  

Is weekly testing is lieu of vaccination permitted? 

No.  All contractors having direct or indirect contact with students must be fully vaccinated or have an approved medical or religious exception.