Regular testing can help keep schools open
Did you know that regular testing - often called “screening testing” - can keep kids safe and preserve in-class learning?
Yes, it can. Regular testing works because it identifies kids and teachers who are contagious even without COVID symptoms.
It’s called “TEST TO STAY”.
How does Test to Stay work?
Kids and adults perform a simple, fast test 2 or 3 times per week. The test might collect saliva or use a shallow nasal swab. Those who received a positive result quarantine until their test is not positive. All contacts continue with the testing program and only quarantine if they get a positive test.
Why does Test to Stay work?
because only people who are likely to be contagious stay out of school
because the federal and state governments have MONEY to pay for testing programs, so for schools, testing is free.
schools and districts in the U.S. are already using Test to Stay to keep their schools safe and open.
Why doesn’t my school district use ‘Test to Stay’ to keep our students in the classroom?
Federal and State funding for these testing program is relatively new — most school districts don’t know that they can have a testing program and don’t have to pay for it.
Running a COVID-19 testing program is Free to schools
The federal government and/or your state government has allocated money to pay for free (fully funded) testing.
There are several different programs (LINK); at least one will work for your district or school.
Here’s how to find an appropriate testing program for your district/school (LINKS)
Parents - you can contact your school administrators
Ask them to implement a free Test to Stay COVID-19 testing program at your child’s school.
Provide them with a link to the testing program options that they can consider.
Remind them that these programs are already funded and are therefore free to their school or district.
Remind that that other school districts already are successfully using Test to Stay
Implementing a testing program does not take considerable time or resources away from classroom instruction.
Testing does not cost your school or district money.
Many school districts are already implementing regular (i.e. screening) testing.
Every state has a pathway to support FREE testing.
https://www.salivadirect.org/every-school-safe-and-open-home/federal-funding
This site has information about the many many programs that are available (each is in a different color). Read over them quickly to identify the one that's right for you.
Describe this.
https://www.affinitytesting.com/hhs/
https://www.openandsafeschools.org/states
You can find out how often your district should be testing. Try this (LINK)
Scientific studies about how testing keeps schools safe. Weekly testing can help. In one analysis, 5-day school attendance with weekly screening had lower cost than hybrid models without screening and similarly low rates of transmission (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.12.21257131v3)