As the old kindergarten adage goes, “Sharing is caring.”

Now, school districts are putting that mantra into action.

The Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV (MIU) will distribute Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 inoculations to teachers and school employees this month.

Districts with more slots than workers seeking the vaccine are sharing their unutilized vaccination slots with those in need.

Tracy Vitale, Seneca Valley School District superintendent, said she was able to fill a 150-slot shortfall between the district's allocated vaccines and the number of employees seeking a vaccination by working with other districts in the MIU.

“We had a lot of meetings with superintendents leading up to this, and I shared my concerns with that group that I would not have enough vaccines and Butler (Area) would not have enough vaccines,” Vitale said.

Vitale said that, by Sunday, she and Butler Area School District superintendent Brian White were communicating with other superintendents about their districts' surplus vaccine slots.

Seneca Valley alone received 45 slots from Greenville Area, 33 from Sharon City, 26 from Commodore Perry, 24 from Shenango Area, 14 from West Middlesex and eight from Hermitage Area school districts.

But it wasn't just Seneca Valley that covered a vaccine gap.

“We were able, by the end of the day on Monday, to cover every Butler County school district,” Vitale said. “It was just amazing. It was a lot of work and a lot of collaborating. I'm just so grateful that superintendents up north — who may not have needed all of their slots because they had hospitals and pharmacies that were vaccinating — were able to share with us.”

Mars Area School District is another group that covered its shortfall with help from other school districts in the MIU.

A district staff survey that included everyone from cafeteria workers to paraprofessionals resulted in more than 200 workers indicating their vaccine interest, Mars Area superintendent Mark Gross said at a Tuesday school board meeting.

“We did not have the necessary allocation,” Gross said. “We were not allocated enough to get everybody vaccinated in the first round.”

However, Gross said, Mars was able to cover their dearth of vaccine slots with the MIU aid.

“Anyone involved in our district is now eligible for vaccines,” Gross said.

Gross said Mars Area staff who requested a vaccine will be notified via email this week with instructions on how to pick a time, day and place for their vaccination appointment.

“In the very, very near future, those that aren't vaccinated will get vaccinated,” Gross said.

Susan Miller, assistant superintendent for Slippery Rock Area School District, said the district sent a survey from the MIU to all employees at the end of last week, in which they could choose appointment times that would be most convenient for them.Miller said the MIU is offering about 2,900 doses for school personnel in the 27 school districts it covers, but the group is still prioritizing the 1A group.She was unsure of how many district employees scheduled appointments for this round, but said many expressed interest in receiving the vaccine.“We were really happy to have the available slots that were offered,” she said. “Right now, it's a very fluid number because some people had the opportunity to get the vaccine at another place or another source.”Vitale said one potential issue facing Seneca — and all other districts — is the potential of teachers missing school because of vaccine side effects.“In an elementary building, if we have five or more teachers out, it could potentially close our building,” Vitale said. “I am concerned about that. The next two weeks are going to be rough: this week and next week.”It is, however, better than the alternative, she noted.“We'll still take this unknown, versus what we were dealing with last March,” Vitale said.

Butler County school superintendents have met with the county commissioners and health officials about the coronavirus for roughly the past year.They've often worked together to find solutions to issues, such as how to hold prom and graduation.But when it comes to sharing the vaccine — that was a lot of work, according to Vitale.But it's no surprise county districts and others in the MIU are working together to find a solution.“I have never seen superintendents come together quite like this,” Vitale said. “We were texting all weekend, calling. It was really a great collaboration by the entire (MIU) to get this done.”

White said the state will contact teachers and other employees individually to schedule their vaccinations in a window from March 13 to 19.He said the location where the vaccine will be administered is not being publicized because of concerns that other people might show up to get vaccinated.The MIU IV, which serves school districts in Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties, is coordinating the vaccinations for districts in those counties, he said.White added that he is concerned about possible employee absences because of reactions from the vaccine. He said spreading the vaccinations over seven days will hopefully reduce the chance of having multiple absences at the same time.<i>Eagle staff writers Steve Ferris and Eddie Trizzino contributed to this report.</i>