Highlands offers voluntary on-site covid-19 testing for students and staff

Highlands School District students can opt for on-site covid-19 testing through a federally funded program.

The district is participating in Operation Expanded Testing, supported by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Tests are voluntary and provided for free.

Administrators said the district’s participation is expected to help schools remain open and help students stay safe.

“Screening testing is recommended as an additional mitigation strategy and includes pooled testing,” Assistant Superintendent Cathleen Cubelic said.

Cubelic is the district’s pandemic coordinator.

She said the process allows samples to be screened quickly to determine if positive cases exist.

“If so, then individual testing is done to isolate the case,” she said.

Testing will be done as needed for students and staff who opt in.

It would likely occur when a classroom or team of students might have been exposed to the infection, Cubelic said.

“It will allow for a comprehensive assessment of all who may have been in close contact/exposed and expedite the collection of samples for the whole group,” she said.

Communications coordinator Jen Goldberg said the program is designed to keep students in the classroom and prevent the spread of covid-19.

Goldberg said those who agree to be tested would do so with two nasal swabs, similar to Q-tips.

Both nostrils are swabbed with one stick that goes into the group for testing. Both nostrils are swabbed a second time to be placed in an individual container.

The individual swab is only tested if the lab believes there might be covid-19 present in the pooled test, school officials said.

Parents have to register for the program to allow their child to be tested.

To opt in, visit the link or a consent form can be printed at goldenrams.com.