Peninsula district to attempt COVID-19 testing on its own for staff, some students
The Peninsula School District will attempt to continue some form of COVID-19 testing at schools, the district told parents by email on Friday, even though a pilot program with the county has ended.
The unsigned email said “we have secured 10,000 EverlyWell and 4,000 BinaxNOW test kits that will allow us to test staff and select student populations.”
Assistant Superintendent John Hellwich told The Gateway the tests will be administered by trained staff and taken weekly. Unlike prior mass testing, the district will only test select “high-risk” students and staff.
“We looked at which students are at highest risk; so we have students that, because of disabilities or other conditions, can’t keep their mask on or stay six feet away from adults,” Hellwich said. “It’s most of our students who are in our special education program. Those are our highest priority students for testing.”
So far, only Kindergarten and 1st-graders have returned to classroom learning. Second-grades are expected to return Tuesday, Jan. 19. Currently there are about 2,744 students and staff on campuses, according to the district website.
The previous pilot testing program went for three weeks. It was run in partnership with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, which both administered and processed the tests.
From November 30 to December 18, the district said “over 3,753 individuals” were tested with “thirteen positive tests” four of which were false positives. The health department has said that regardless of low numbers, “testing students and staff is still one of the best tools we have in our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
The health department will still be assisting in processing the tests. However, a blog post from the TPCHD also said the department “cannot provide staffing or Personal Protective Equipment.”
Hellwich said they will tap into existing PPE that the district has that were already provided to staff who work with high-risk students, but did not know how much they will have to use for a testing program.
Hellwich also specified that Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd-grade students will not receive the test unless they are considered high-risk.
Karen Andersen, Chief Financial Officer who has been overseeing COVID safety, said she is hoping to start testing the week of January 25. The details of how many tests will be given at each school site is still being worked out.
Andersen said that the staff performing tests will get a shield, a gown, a mask, and gloves.
“We have to do it properly. We’re basically taking over the program from the health department,” Andersen said. “We have to meet all the protocols that they did.”
The staff who will be administering the tests have yet to trained and will receive no additional pay for performing these duties.
In the email, Superintendent Art Jarvis asserted that “participation in a pilot testing program has provided additional evidence that counter measures can be taken in the schools to safely and effectively serve students in-person.”
The Peninsula Education Association (PEA), the teachers’ union, had recently held a “no-confidence” vote in the superintendent, citing an “overwhelming lack of trust” in his response to the pandemic.
All of this comes as the district prepares to bring back 2nd-graders on Tuesday, January 19. A spokesperson for the district also said the new Pioneer Elementary School would be opened “ahead of schedule,” which would include an additional 90 students and 40 staff returning.
Reach Chase Hutchinson at chase.hutchinson@thenewstribune.com
This story was originally published January 15, 2021 at 6:09 PM.
