COVID-19 Testing Options for K-12

Learn about the different testing options to build your testing program.

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  • Test-to-stay

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  • Routine in-school testing

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  • Routine at-home testing

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  • Symptomatic testing

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Test-to-stay

 

What is test-to-stay?

Under a Test to Stay program (also called a “close contact testing program”), certain close contacts of a person who tests positive for Covid-19 undergo repeated testing after an exposure and can stay in school as long as they continue to test negative. (Source)

Benefits

  • Allows students to stay in school - avoids quarantine/remote learning

  • Short-term - person is only tested regularly for about a week

  • Most schools use rapid antigen tests and get results in 15 mins

Drawbacks

  • Can be a heavy lift for staff

  • Requires contact tracing program, which can be demanding for staff

  • When transmission (and close contacts) increase, it can take a long time each day to test everyone who needs to be tested

Learn more

Routine in-school testing

 

What is routine in-school testing testing?

Routine in-school testing is a program that offers COVID-19 testing to students and staff at planned, regular intervals (eg once a week).

Most districts use PCR tests – either with pooled testing or individual tests.

Benefits

  • Can identify asymptomatic cases

  • Allows schools to understand the prevalence of infection in their school over time

  • Can offer peace of mind to families/staff who are worried about the risks of in-person learning

Drawbacks

  • Resource-intensive, both in terms of cost of tests and staffing requirements

  • Schools doing pooled testing may need to do follow-up testing to determine individual results

  • Not all communities are receptive to routine asymptomatic testing, although there are ways to communicate the value in a way that resonates

  • Longer turnaround time on PCR tests

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Routine At-Home Testing

 

What is routine at-home testing?

With routine at-home testing, students/staff test themselves at home on a regular basis (eg weekly on Sundays) before coming into school. If they test positive, they can stay home and prevent potential transmission.

Benefits

  • Significantly reduces strain on staff because testing happens at home

  • Allows people to test before they arrive in the building

  • Most schools choose rapid antigen tests (some opt for PCR tests)

Drawbacks

  • Puts a higher burden on families to do the test correctly

  • Accountability can be tricky: schools need strong communications plans and must consider if they’ll use an accountability check (eg uploading results to a portal)

  • Need a way to get the tests home (eg parent pick up, sending home in backpacks)

  • Can’t guarantee the student took the test (vs someone else in the home) — although many districts believe that as long as someone in the home took it, the program is still working

Learn more

Examples from other states

Symptomatic Testing

 

What is symptomatic testing?

Symptomatic testing programs provide testing for students/staff who present COVID-19 symptoms during the school day.

Benefits

  • It’s quick: if someone has symptoms, they can be tested on the spot with a rapid antigen test and get results in 15 mins

  • Symptomatic testing is usually popular with families and staff

Drawbacks

  • Requires staffing (school nurse, contracted staff) to administer/organize testing and reporting

Learn more

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Getting Started Templates and Examples