Chicago City Wire

Chicago's DePaul College Prep H.S. told parents Wednesday night that the school is now requiring its students to get a Covid vaccine jab if they want to attend the north side school.

Principal Megan Stanton-Anderson, 54, said non Covid-vaccinated students could technically still pay DePaul Prep's $15,500 annual tuition and try to attend the school, but that she would be instituting new policies that would prevent those students from participating in school activities, as well as making it more difficult for them to earn a diploma.

Classes begin for all grades at DePaul on Sept. 7.

Stanton-Anderson's new policy would require non Covid-vaccinated students will be required to take weekly Covid tests. If they are exposed to an allegedly Covid-infected person they must "quarantine at home for 14 calendar days," with the days counted as an unexcused absence.

"Remote learning will not be available for quarantined individuals and days of quarantine will be counted as a normal absence," her policy says.

If a non-Covid vaccinated DePaul College Prep student themselves tests positive for Covid, they are required to quarantine at home and "remote learning will not be available."

"Students may return to school AFTER their 10th day of quarantine if they have been fever-free for 24 hours and are asymptomatic," per Stanton-Anderson's policy. "Days of quarantine will be counted as a normal absence."

Stanton-Anderson's policy also penalizes Covid-vaccinated students who test positive for Covid. They will also have to quarantine for ten days, will be prevented from remote learning and their absences will be counted as unexcused. 

"In the interest of the health and safety of the entire DePaul Prep community, the protocols, practices, and policies shared here are non-negotiable," a letter from Stanton-Anderson and school President Mary Dempsey reads. "Parents and students who are not able to comply with these are asked to reconsider their position or seek alternative placement for the 2021-22 school year. "

Also on Wednesday, an Israeli study found the Covid-vaccinated were 13 times more likely than the naturally Covid-immune to contract the virus. A leading Dublin, Ireland hospital   reported it is seeing a "worrying" number of double-jabbed patients who have been infected with Covid in so-called "breakthrough" cases.

DePaul College Prep, 3300 N. Campbell Ave. in Chicago's North Center neighborhood, is run by the Vincentians, who also run DePaul University in nearby Lincoln Park. The high school was formerly called Gordon Technical, which closed in 2014.