
Test to Stay Approved
as of October 18
At the Board of Education meeting on Monday, October 18, the Board approved using the Test to Stay protocol for COVID-19 close contacts in the indoor classroom. Test to Stay is a modified quarantine option that can be utilized if an unvaccinated student or staff member is identified as an indoor classroom close contact so that the close contact may remain in person for learning as long as they remain asymptomatic and test negative on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 post-exposure.
Who Qualifies?
Unvaccinated students and staff qualify for Test to Stay when both the COVID-19-confirmed case and close contact consistently and correctly wore masks for their entire exposure in the indoor classroom. Students enrolled in the Test to Stay program MUST participate in a saliva-based covid testing through SHIELD IL. SHIELD is administered at school once per week. Students will not be enrolled in real time once they are identified as a close contact (Consent must be given in advance of the start of this program--please see the due date below).
Process Summary
Only with parent consent, participation in weekly SHIELD IL saliva screening, and vigilant monitoring of any COVID-19 symptoms, students identified as a close contact to a positive case in the indoor classroom will be tested on days one (1), three (3), five (5), and seven (7) from the date of exposure with BinaxNOW rapid antigen testing, which is an anterior nasal swab that has a 15 minute result. If the close contact is identified later than day 1, testing will be adjusted accordingly. If any of the days identified above fall on a weekend or day off school, dates will be adjusted accordingly. This test will take place as close as possible to student and staff arrival to school. A positive result does NOT require confirmatory testing and the student/staff will be immediately placed on a 10 day isolation period and their unvaccinated close contacts will be placed on quarantine.
Other important requirements for Test to Stay:
TTS participants must wear their mask correctly and consistently through Day 14 post-exposure period both indoors and outdoors while at school.
TTS participants may participate in non-athletic extracurricular activities, as long as they remain consistently and correctly masked and properly physically distanced for the full 14-day period.
TTS participants may NOT participate in sports competitions for 14 days.
TTS participants should avoid social gatherings and remain at home when not at school functions for the full 14-day period.
TTS participants may not ride on the bus through day 14.
TTS participants must remain at 6 foot distance at lunch through day 14.
Test to Stay has been approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) recently made this option allowable to school districts in DuPage County.
Test to Stay Consent and Deadlines for Participation
Glen Ellyn School District 41
Email: webmaster@d41.org
Website: www.d41.org
Location: 793 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn, IL, USA
Phone: 630.790.6400
Facebook: facebook.com/glenellynd41
Twitter: @glenellynd41