Orange County teachers ask governor to prioritize them for COVID-19 vaccine

School leaders in Orange County are pushing to get vaccines for their employees.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - School leaders in Orange County are pushing to get vaccines for their employees.

They want Governor Ron DeSantis to prioritize teachers and staff that are part of face-to-face learning to get the COVID-19 vaccine. A letter from the school board is heading to the governor.

This is the second letter the school board sent to DeSantis asking him to prioritize teachers. They want him to consider how much time they spend in the classroom with large groups of children.

The board sent him a letter last month but says there’s been no answer.

School board member Linda Kobert says, "We have teachers who are out who would like to come back and they need that protection."

They’re hoping this letter will get his attention so vaccines can be set aside for teachers.

"That he at least will allow the school district the flexibility to supply employees, that due to age, it could be that we set that age or that the governor or the health department sets that age threshold," said Orange County Chairwoman Teresa Jacobs. "Due to age, someone that’s under 65 and due to health issues that make them very vulnerable that we would prioritize them."

The board is also hoping the governor will take into account the fact that there are now more contagious strains of the virus.

All members of the board agreed to sign that letter.