There is some uncertainty as to whether Abbott’s executive orders prohibit the question. Generally, an employer can ask about vaccination status so long as there is a legitimate business reason for doing so. Vaccination affects the likelihood of becoming ill and missing work, so this would be a legitimate business reason. However, both Executive Order GA-38 and GA-39 state:
State agencies and political subdivisions shall not adopt or enforce any order, ordinance, policy, regulation, rule, or similar measure that requires an individual to provide, as a condition of receiving any service or entering any place, documentation regarding the individual’s vaccination status for any COVID-19 vaccine administered under an emergency use authorization.
Again, it is unclear whether this applies to the employees of the “political subdivision” (a public school district is a “political subdivision”) or only “customers,” e.g., parents, students, and visitors.
In addition, there are two other caveats.
First, the district or anyone, such as a nurse, acting on behalf of the district, would need to be very careful about asking any follow-up questions about why a person may not have gotten vaccinated. This could be considered an inquiry into a disability, which could violate the law.
Second, vaccination status is personal health information. Although an employer can often require an employee to share personal health information with the employer, the employer should be careful not to share the information with anyone who does not have a legitimate reason to receive it. This is not much different than your Social Security number. Your district can certainly require you to provide it, but the number must be kept confidential—for instance, your principal would not have a legitimate reason to know it.