Dear D128 Parents and Students:
As you may be aware, during Winter Break, D128 made significant progress toward making weekly COVID-19 diagnostic testing for staff and students a reality. An arduous, challenging journey to be sure, but an important journey for certain. This opportunity is a significant, positive development, and will assist us in assessing and monitoring COVID-19 activity for staff and staff students.
In short, at the January 4 Special Board of Education meeting, the D128 Board unanimously approved a contract with Passport Health (Passport) in which Passport will purchase Abbott's newest diagnostic test, BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card (BinaxNOW), directly from Abbott, and then Passport will provide the BinaxNOW tests to D128 for staff and student testing. Passport will also provide all related testing services at LHS and VHHS. District and building logistic teams are working on all necessary details including facilities and scheduling; consent process and protocol; directions for downloading and using the necessary, associated Abbott NAVICA app, among other important health and logistics processes and protocols.
Although testing will be voluntary, it is critical to have a very high level of student participation to make the testing effective in our efforts to open our schools and keep our schools open. As such, we strongly encourage parents who have elected to have their children return to school to enroll their children in the weekly BinaxNow testing program.
Staff testing will commence on Monday, January 11, and they are currently registering, providing consent, scheduling testing times, and downloading the corresponding NAVICA app. Student testing will commence on Tuesday, January 19.
D128 will be hosting a parent-student BinaxNOW testing webinar on Tuesday, January 12 at 7:00 p.m. Visit this link to view the webinar on Tuesday. Note that if you are unable to view the live webinar, we will be recording the webinar and sharing that link with all parents and students. Passport Health CEO, Scott Morcott, M.D.; Board President Pat Groody; and Superintendent Prentiss Lea will host the meeting, and will review the BinaxNOW testing program, logistics for the program and answer questions. Specific written details regarding registration, consent, scheduling, downloading the NAVICA app will follow on Wednesday, January 13.
In closing, this is a significant, positive development for weekly staff and student diagnostic testing with a highly effective test vehicle from a world-class company. With high participation levels, the BinaxNOW testing program will assist the district in assessing and monitoring COVID-19 activity in our buildings, and to take appropriate mitigation as necessary. We hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity!
Sincerely,
Dr. Pat Groody, Board President
Dr. Prentiss Lea, Superintendent