Horseheads Central School District
Updated Testing and Quarantine Supplemental Information
Test to Stay
Effective 11/30/21; updated 1/14/22; updated 1/21/22; updated 2/7/22
Test to Stay (TTS) is a testing strategy that allows direct contacts of a person positive with COVID-19 to continue to attend school for instruction only if they test negative daily for COVID-19. Per the New York State Department of Health and the Chemung County Health Department, the Horseheads Central School District will implement the Test to Stay strategy as long as COVID-19 diagnostic testing supplies are provided from state and local health departments.
This option is for students and staff who are identified as direct contacts and are without symptoms, unvaccinated, and not living in the household of a known positive case. By testing negative each of five consecutive days after exposure (excluding weekends), a student/staff member can be in school during the instructional day. This would require a negative result for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen test administered by school personnel at the beginning of each school day. Those participating in this opportunity are still required by the county to quarantine outside the school day.
Beginning the week of January 24, TTS will take place at each of the district's seven school buildings. The High School Fieldhouse will no longer be used as the district's TTS site. Parents choosing to have their child participate in this program will receive further instructions from the child's school regarding time and place.
Details of the Test to Stay strategy:
The TTS option is for students and staff who are identified as direct contacts, are without symptoms, and are unvaccinated.
- If an unvaccinated direct contact lives in the household of a known positive case(s), the direct contact is ineligible for the TTS procedure while the positive individual(s) remains in isolation and must still quarantine according to NYSDOH procedures. Once the positive individual(s) in the household is released from isolation, the student or staff member identified as a direct contact can begin the TTS procedure as long as the student/staff does not test positive or have any symptoms. The student/staff member will still need to quarantine (when not in school) for an additional five days.
- The district must have a signed consent form on file in order to perform the daily COVID-19 testing. A parent/guardian must sign a student’s consent form in order to participate in the TTS program.
- The testing is free for participants.
- Beginning February 7, 2022:
- Students participating in the TTS protocol are now allowed to attend school-administered and their school-age child care program in which all appropriate strategies are followed, including masking, distance, ventilation, hand hygiene. This is allowed whether the location is the school or off-site and whether the program includes students from a single or multiple schools.
- Students participating in the TTS protocol may now participate in school-based extracurricular activities at the school they attend if these activities do not involve students from other schools. This includes club activities and sports practices, but not sports competitions or other activities with other schools.
The TTS must begin on the first available school day of the student/staff member’s quarantine. If not done on the first day, then the student/staff remains out of school for the duration of their quarantine. Note that home tests are not accepted for TTS.
- Parents will need to transport students each morning to the school. Students are not permitted to ride district transportation in the morning while on the TTS protocol. With a negative result on a district-administered rapid antigen test, the student may ride district transportation in the afternoon each day as long as they test negative.
- Adults accompanying students to school for testing must wait roughly 15-20 minutes for the test results before they can leave.
- If the test is negative, the student/staff may proceed to school. However, if symptoms develop, they must immediately be excluded from school per current NYSDOH guidance.
- If the test is positive, the student/staff is sent home immediately, and existing procedures must be followed.
- If a student or staff member misses a day of testing during the TTS protocol, then the protocol ends, and the student/staff is not permitted to attend school until their quarantine ends.
This Test to Stay strategy may change as needed based on practice, data, or directions from our local or state health departments or the state education department.
Click here to return to the district's 2021-22 Opening Plan/Health and Safety Guide.