Grand Island, NY (WBEN) Grand Island schools will team up with the Erie County Health Department to launch a test to stay testing program for students who are considered close contacts with those who have tested positive for COVID.
County health officials say they met with superintendents from Erie 1 BOCES, Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES and the president of the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association during November to present the opportunity.
"Superintendent feedback was instrumental in moving this Test to Stay program forward," says Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein.
"This approach will require a substantial investment of time and resources from our department and individual schools and administrators. To do it right, we have to find out what works, how we can improve, and what our schools can expect. And with more than two dozen school districts, dozens of private schools and more than 130,000 k-12 students in Erie County, a countywide launch is simply not feasible. A pilot program is the best first step forward."
Burstein says she approached Grand Island Central School District as a pilot program candidate, and Superintendent Dr. Brian Graham and the Grand Island CSD Board of Education agreed to sign on.
"We are very pleased to participate in the Test to Stay program pilot," says Graham.
"For our students who are identified as a close contact to a person who is positive with Covid-19, the Test to Stay strategy will maximize time learning in the classroom; provide important social, nutritional and mental health supports; and, maintain routines for families who struggle with child care and transportation."
TTS will begin as an option for Grand Island k-12 students on December 6. Grand Island CSD has contracted with Buffalo Homecare, Inc. to provide staff for testing and data entry.
Graham says students who are not fully vaccinated and close contacts of a COVID-19 case from a school exposure would have a rapid COVID-19 test before each school day as part of a modified quarantine. Students with a household exposure would not be eligible, nor would school staff. The student would attend school that day if their test result was negative. A positive test result would mean the student is excluded from school and placed in isolation at home.
The program begins December 6th.
