LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) officials said several students participating in Test to Stay, which started Sunday, were able to return to school without having to quarantine Monday.
Sunday, the district reported 124 people were signed up for testing.
They're still working on how to isolate data to show how many people in quarantine tested positive or negative, but said three of the 124 people tested were positive.
Three elementary school principals reported kids that would have been in quarantine being back in school today because they tested negative.
"All the talk about a return to learning and making up for learning loss, one of the most important things we can do is make sure that they're at school to receive in-person learning," said Dr. Eva Stone, JCPS manager of district health services.
Through Test to Stay, students and staff exposed to COVID-19 at school will be able to get tested every night before school (Sunday-Thursday) for seven calendar days.
If those tests are negative and they are not symptomatic, they can attend school in person the following day instead of having to quarantine.
There are more than 50 testing locations across the metro, including multiple mobile testing sites. You can see the full list of locations and times here.
The goal of the Test to Stay model is to keep more students and staff in the classroom during the school year. The Test to Play program, where students participating in extracurricular activities will have to go through weekly COVID-19 testing, starts Nov. 1.
Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said the district is using state and federal grants to pay for both programs and is contracting the testing out so it doesn't impact district staffing.
Students must have a signed consent form in order to get tested at school. More information on the programs is available on the JCPS website.
At the Oct. 7 meeting, the school board also approved $200 incentive payments for all JCPS employees that are vaccinated by Dec. 1, 2021.
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