The Concord School District has been chosen by the Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as one of the first twenty districts to receive the BD Veritor, a rapid coronavirus testing machine. After much discussion, analyzing the available information, and consulting with medical professionals, the District has decided to opt in with DESE and the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) to provide this service to our students and staff. Training has been completed and procedures established to provide a comfortable situation for parents and students. With that being said, here are a few items we want to share with our students, their families, and our entire community:
testing will be conducted by the district’s nurse to ensure validity and reliability
ALL testing will be completely VOLUNTARY...NO tests will be conducted without prior approval from a parent or guardian
parent consent will be obtained at the time of testing when coming to pick your child up from school upon your request and in your presence.
testing will be available to all faculty, staff, and students while on campus
illness procedures, as well as contact tracing procedures, will continue to be followed
testing will only be considered if individual is SYMPTOMATIC, they must be showing symptoms of coronavirus
a negative result will need to be validated by a PCR result at the local health unit or testing site of your choice before returning to school.
if a child has enough symptoms to receive a test they will be sent home in accordance with current illness procedures regardless of test results
If testing is recommended you are not required to use this service at school, it is an available option
The District would also like to share a few of the key factors that went into the decision-making process:
in the event of a positive case, contact tracing will begin sooner and, hopefully, limit exposure and spread of the virus
immediate access to testing, local health departments and physicians’ offices may experience delays with the rising Covid cases and the approaching flu season.
testing available to all students regardless of insurance, there is no charge
no mandate on number of tests that must be performed...as few or as many as we need
the District must only cover cost of PPE for person administering the test
This does not replace our illness policy. If your child is exhibiting symptoms prior to the school day or even the night before, please do not send them to school. The Local Health Units provide priority Covid testing for school students and faculty with an appointment or you can call your primary healthcare provider for guidance. If you need assistance in locating a testing center, we will be happy to help you.
As always, we value the questions, concerns, and feedback of our faculty, staff, students, families, and community. All of the aforementioned are welcome. Please contact the District’s helpline at 501-454-3716 or helpline@concordschools.org. You will promptly receive a response.