Three-quarters of Maine teachers and school staff were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in late August, but rates vary widely by school, reflecting family geographic disparities as the school year begins. .
Initial data on vaccination rates, released Wednesday by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, comes as more than a dozen schools have already seen outbreaks of COVID-19 in the first few weeks of the semester, forcing students to be quarantined due to possible exposure. Cases in schools reflect a broader increase in the virus in Maine, as infections have increased in recent months due to the highly contagious delta variant.
The data show that more than 30 schools across the state have perfect staff vaccination rates, with 100% of employees fully vaccinated by the end of August. The group includes public and private schools, including some smaller schools, such as Cliff Island School, which have few employees, as well as some larger schools, such as Portland’s Longfellow Elementary School and Cape Elizabeth Middle School.
Vaccination rates for school staff are highest in Cumberland County, where 88.9% of all staff are fully vaccinated, according to state data. They are the lowest in Waldo County, which reached 60.7%, followed by Piscataquis County, at 62.5%.
Nearly two dozen schools have seen less than 40 percent of teachers and staff members get the vaccine. This group includes Mt. View from Thorndike, which was one of the first schools in Maine to see a COVID-19 outbreak this fall.
Schools or districts collect data on staff vaccination rates and report to the state. Staff who did not report vaccination status are counted as unvaccinated. Some administrative units only reported vaccination rates in the district, not the school.
The data show a slightly lower percentage, approximately 69 percent, of central operations staff, defined as employees serving several schools, such as district administrators or bus drivers.