COVID Testing Consent - December 10, 2020

Dear KLSD Families,

We are now preparing to perform mandatory COVID testing here at school, in the event that any of our schools are determined by NYS to be in a yellow, orange or red zone. Please note that we are not currently in a zone and do not need to test students at this time. 

Based on current guidance, if/when a zone is declared, we will be required to test at least 20% of students and staff in order to continue offering in-person learning. Having parental consent in advance will enable us to begin testing as quickly as possible, thus reducing the length of any school closures.

On the consent form, we are also asking you to let us know your intentions about your child’s attendance through the end of January. Please note that we are not asking you to request a change in your child’s current school model (hybrid vs. fully remote). We will again offer that opportunity for the start of February. In recent weeks, however, we have seen a significant dip in in-person attendance. If this pattern continues, it impacts how many students we need to test in order not to close. The more accurately you can report your intentions to us, the more effectively we can prepare for mandatory testing. 

The rapid tests being provided by NYS DOH are the less invasive nasal swab type. The tests will be administered by our school nurses. We are working now to design a process to have students tested when they are not in school (so as not to further disrupt learning) and so as to minimize additional quarantining caused by positive tests. Parents will have the opportunity to be with their children if they wish. 

To complete the consent form (and please complete it ASAP):

The link below will open a Microsoft Form that can only be completed by someone with a KLSD Microsoft account. We’re using this method so that we can keep accurate record of every child for whom consent is submitted and to minimize our need to verify information with you. 

If you click on the link on a personal device, you’ll be brought to the MS Office sign-in page. Please sign in with the KLSD credentials of the student for whom the consent form is being completed. 

Alternatively, you can open a browser on the student’s school-issued device. Type in the link below and a form associated with your child’s KLSD account will open automatically. (To avoid having to re-type the link, you can also forward this email to your child’s school email address and click the link on their device.) 

Importantly, if you have more than one child in the District and need to complete more than one consent form, each form must be associated with each student’s separate KLSD account – so, either complete each form separately on each child’s device or sign out and sign in again on your own device using each child’s credentials.

Here is a link to the consent form:  https://bit.ly/37OOCA2

Another page including a number of COVID testing FAQ's can be found here. 

Please complete the form ASAP. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Sincerely, 

Andrew Selesnick, Superintendent of Schools