February 26, 2021
When the number of active COVID-19 cases in any of our traditional high schools – East, Highland, or West – reaches the point where we need to consider transitioning to distance learning (when 1% of our personal students test positive for COVID) the school concerned is running a test to stay program. Test to Stay offers free COVID-19 tests to all students and staff at the school. Students and staff who test negative can continue to learn in person. Those who test positive for COVID-19 will switch to distance learning at home. (Students who study 100% remotely are not required to take the Test to Stay.)
Testing is not mandatory, but we must test at least 80% of our staff and students participating in either in-person learning or in-person lessons for the program to be effective. Those who choose not to take the tests must move on to distance learning for a period of 10 days before returning to face-to-face learning.
Test to Stay programs have been used successfully in schools across the state, and we see this as another tool to help keep our students, the community, and school staff safe.
How the test is administered
This test is a rapid test that uses a quick nasal swab. Your student’s test results will be emailed to you within 30 minutes of taking the test. If you don’t have an email, you can request a hard copy of the test results at the time of the test. The tests take place in the student’s home school. Please contact your school principal directly for information on test dates and logistics for your student’s school.
If your child has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days and is not currently isolated, please provide evidence of their positive test. There is no need to retest to continue in-person learning. Students who do NOT study in person and students who participate in the Test to Play program (for students in athletics or other extracurricular activities) do not need to be tested for Test to Stay if they are already regularly tested under Test play.
Consent to testing
Parents, not students, must complete and complete the consent form prior to testing. By doing this, you are consenting to your child being tested for the duration of the school year. The consent form can be completed online using the REDCAP system. The link is provided by your student’s school. Parents only need to fill out the consent form once. If you have previously completed the consent form for a previous rapid test, including Test to Play or Test to Start, you do not need to fill it out again.
This news release was produced by the Salt Lake City School District. The views expressed are those of the author.
Comments are closed.