Sun Prairie Area School District vaccinates 1,000+ staff

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - On Friday, more than a thousand Sun Prairie Area School District staff members received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Through a partnership with SSM Health, the district offered a mass-vaccination clinic at Sun Prairie High School. SSM Health supplied staff to help coordinate and prepare vaccines. SPASD employees, including health assistants and district nurses, took care of administering the vaccines.

Eastside Elementary School Health Assistant Conni Brandt was one of more than a dozen employees working to put shots in arms.

“All staff within the Sun Prairie Area School District are getting vaccinated, including bus drivers, custodial staff, administrative assistants,” she said.

The director of student policy and school operations for the district, Nick Reichhoff, said the majority of their 1,500 staff members now have received at least one dose. Another clinic for second doses will be held on March 30.

“We did have a few hundred staff members qualify earlier for vaccination, and they received their vaccination in the last couple of months. But, today we are glad we could open that to everybody,” Reichhoff said.

Reichoff said staff not only took the lead on vaccinating, but also making sure those receiving the shot knew where to go.

“Almost all of the vaccinators are our school and district nurses. Our support staff and district office administrators are helping to make sure the flow of employees through the clinic runs smoothly,” he said.

SSM Health will hold another clinic for teachers at Baraboo High School Tuesday. It will include several area districts including Baraboo, Wisconsin Dells, Lodi and a handful of Sauk Co. schools. The health system will also vaccinate more than a thousand Madison teachers at La Follette High School Friday.

Representatives SSM Health told NBC15, between the Waunaukee School District clinic on Monday and the one held in Sun Prairie Friday, they have vaccinated roughly 1,650 district staff in Dane Co.

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