Dear MCS Families and Staff,
Middleburgh Central School District is thrilled to have all of our students and staff back at school and learning in-person. We are following requirements from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and remain committed to taking all the steps necessary to ensure that our school is safe and remains open for in-person learning.
Part of our effort to support a safe school year of in-person instruction and after school activities is to utilize a new statewide COVID-19 Surveillance Testing in Schools Program. Governor Hochul has secured federal funding for schools to initiate this screening process. We have a partnership with the Schoharie County Department of Health to offer the tests that will identify COVID-19 quickly and early, which will help stop transmission.
We can now offer testing for students and staff who wish to have it. People who don’t give consent will not be part of this program to be screened for COVID-19.
Two step process
If you consent to surveillance testing, please be aware, first you give the district consent, and then you register through Quadrant Biosciences.
- First: use this form to give consent to be tested.
- Second: create an account with Quadrant Biosciences.
Who will be tested
Screening tests will be offered to students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, who have opted in during the weeks when the CDC has defined the rate of COVID-19 community transmission in Schoharie County as moderate, substantial, or high.
It is important to note:
- There is no requirement that unvaccinated students undergo screening testing and those who do not participate in this program can still come to school.
- Teachers and staff who have not provided documentation of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are required by NYSDOH to have screening testing performed for COVID-19 at least once per week.
- Students participating in high risk sports or activities will be required to test to remain eligible.
How the testing is administered
The COVID-19 testing is quick, easy and does not hurt. The testing program will utilize a saliva-based, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. PCR tests are the most accurate tests for detecting the virus that causes COVID-19.
- Individuals will gently swab their mouth with a Q-tip and place the Q-tip in a vial and screw a cap on.
- We will accommodate all students’ needs to help them be comfortable during the test.
Instructions before testing
Individuals being tested should be instructed NOT to eat or drink anything (with the exception of water), including chewing gum, mints or lozenges, tobacco or smokeless tobacco products, within 30 minutes of their testing time. Mouthwash and toothpaste should NOT be used within an hour.
Where and when the testing will be done
MCS testing sites will be in the nurse’s office in the Elementary School and Room 102 in the Jr. / Sr. High School. It will take place weekly, during periods of moderate, substantial or high COVID-19 community transmission. Those who participate in certain sports or extracurricular activities may be recommended for more frequent testing. Results will be available about 24 hours after the specimens have arrived at the lab and our school nurses will call parents/guardians of students who test positive.
No cost for testing
There is no out-of-pocket expense to participate in the program, regardless of health insurance status. When you register with Quadrant Biosciences, it will ask for insurance. Schoharie County Department of Health has confirmed you will not be charged copays or deductibles for this testing.
We ensure all participants information will be protected
Sharing of information about children or staff will only be done for public health purposes and in accordance with applicable law and policies protecting student privacy and the security of your child’s data. Only the NYSDOH, and the local health department will receive results.
We are extremely grateful to our committed families and staff who continue to show great flexibility and resilience as we work together to contain the spread of this virus.
Sincerely,
Brian Dunn
Superintendent of Schools