Saratoga County is expanding a pilot program officials credit for helping students stay in the classroom amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s why it joined the test-to-stay initiative, along with other counties across the state.
“Our number one goal is to keep kids in school, if they can be in school,” Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES District Superintendent James Dexter said. “Kids who are sick can stay home. Kids who are not sick should be able to come to school.”
What You Need To Know
- The pilot program in South Glens Falls saved 1,800 days of in-person instruction
- Students who are symptom-free and test negative can return to school
- All schools in Saratoga County will offer the testing program
The test-to-stay protocol is for students kindergarten through twelfth grade who have been exposed to COVID-19 in school or on a school bus.
Through an at-home test kit provided by the school, students are screened for possible infection. Students who test positive or show symptoms need to stay home, but those who are negative and symptom-free can return to the classroom.
Dexter says he hopes it will let students build on their progress made this year.
“When I speak to educators, they have said to me, on multiple occasions, that they are really seeing a difference in the students, not just this year, but particularly recently,” Dexter said. “A lot of kids are starting to turn the corner, and seem more themselves and more comfortable.”
The county first partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the pilot program in October 2021 in the South Glens Falls School District. Through Jan. 6, 457 students in the district enrolled in the test-to-stay program, with only four testing positive.
The county credits test-to-stay with saving nearly 1,800 days of in-person instruction among all students.
Rolling the program out countywide will be a huge help, Saratoga County Public Health Commissioner Dr. Daniel Kuhles said.
“This was during a time of high community transmission, so what it proves is students are safer in the school setting than most other places,” Kuhles said.
Along with the testing, parents will have access to an online portal to report results.
“The parents fill out a very short questionnaire each day with their student’s name and the test results and which type of tests that they used,” Kuhles said. “Test-to-stay can involve a lot of staff time and resources. This portal cuts down on that tremendously.”
As the county continues to follow all safety measures, they are also hoping the program will help protect valuable experience.
“I’m a parent myself. I saw what remote instruction did,” Kuhles said. “Children achieve better educationally, but it’s also better for their social and emotional well-being.”
All schools in Saratoga County should begin testing by the end of the week.
