BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) Calling it a missed opportunity, Michael Cornell, President of the Erie-Niagara School Superintendent's Association, shared his displeasure that a planned meeting with county health officials on Test-To-Stay was canceled Wednesday.
"It was unfortunate. Our opportunities to hear from the Erie County Health Commissioner, since the beginning of the pandemic, have been few and far between. We thought we were going to hear Dr. Gale Bustein present what the Test-To-Stay protocol would look like," said Cornell.
He called the Erie County Department of Health to let them know that he and others were not happy about the decision to cancel the meeting.
The educators were told the meeting was called off due to new guidance from the State Department of Health.
"You can ask the county health commissioner what her level of urgency is, in getting the program up and running. But I can speak to the sense of urgency among school leaders, parents and school age kids. They all want this up and running. Nobody wants too see healthy kids unnecessarily kept out of school anymore. It's been long enough," added Cornell.
Under test to stay, students that are deemed close contacts would be given a rapid test every day for seven days, and as long as they continue to test negative, they're allowed to go to school.
Currently, unvaccinated students who are deemed close contacts must quarantine for 10 days, but some are pushing for test to stay as a way to keep healthy kids in the classroom.
Cornell points out that not only was a pilot program conducted in Grand Island schools in December, but Monroe County, Westchester County and Ontario County also participated in Test-To-Stay after Thanksgiving. "In addition, Massachusetts has 952-thousand school students. Test-to-Stay has been running there successfully since September."
Cornell, who also serves as Superintendent of Hamburg Central Schools, says school staff are ready to go, many districts have hired nursing firms or hired nurses. They just need the tests.
"I'm going to take the County Executive and the Governor at their word that they want to get this rolling. Here in Hamburg, we're ready to go. I'll go pick up the tests myself," he said. "Our parents, students and teachers are ready to go. You'll find that in nearly school district in Erie County," he said.
Cornell adding that health department staffers seem to understand that Test-to-Stay is important and that healthy kids need to stay in school and that it has to be a relatively easy process.
The meeting with school officials has now been rescheduled for Friday, January 7. Cornell would like to have Test-To-Stay up and running next week.
