In accordance with New York State law, and Governor Cuomo’s micro-cluster initiative, if a school district is located in a designated “Yellow Zone,” in order for the district to maintain their in-person instruction, the district is required to randomly test 20% of their in-person population for COVID-19; this includes students, faculty, staff, and administration. As a district, we have been working diligently to develop our testing protocol in the event we are in a designated “Yellow Zone.”
Although we are not currently in a designated zone, we are preemptively seeking your permission to have your child tested for COVID-19, should we become a “Yellow Zone.” All families have been mailed a printed copy of this letter and a printed copy of the consent form.
We are asking that you please complete and return the form either digitally (below) or via the printed copy returned to school with your child as soon as possible.
The form is available to complete online here: CLICK TO VIEW DIGITAL FORM
The testing process will involve inserting a small swab, similar to a Q-Tip, into the front of the nose. This is the simple, quick, shallow nasal swab test. Results will be available in 15 minutes. Parents/guardians will be notified if your child tests positive for COVID-19. Any students who test positive will be sent home and must be kept at home until meeting the Washington County Department of Public Health criteria to return to school. Please contact your child’s doctor immediately to review the test results should your child test positive for COVID-19.
Consent to testing is not mandatory, and if the form is not signed, your student will not be tested. Should you not consent, your child will still attend in-person learning and will not be tested. However, it is encouraged that all students do consent for testing. This allows the district to have the flexibility to ensure that we can adequately meet the testing requirement to remain open for in-person instruction. Should we not receive enough student permissions, the district will be required to switch to a fully remote learning model.
If a parent or guardian would prefer to have their student tested at their primary care office or an alternative location that is acceptable. If this is done, written proof of the test is required and the test must be completed within the micro-cluster timeframe. Please note, any test done at school is free. If a test is conducted at an outside location, any insurance or out-of-pocket costs are the responsibility of the family.
If you have any questions regarding our testing plan, we have posted a frequently asked questions document on our website for review or I would encourage you to contact myself or Nurse Ortiz at 518-639-5594.
On behalf of the faculty, staff, administration, and Board of Education, I would like to thank you for your continued support of the district during this difficult period.
Sincerely,
Kevin Froats
Superintendent
Fort Ann Central School District