Why can't DCPS test all students?

[Anonymous]

Weekly? Or even bi-weekly?

This is what the private schools are doing and it's working. DCPS can take a portion of the $1.8 BILLION they were just given to hire a company to conduct tests on site (of which there are many). They split up the testing throughout the week so it's not the entire school on any given day. Teachers would have designated times where they release those kids for testing during the day and they're back in the classroom 10 minutes later. This would be a huge step towards identifying cases. Testing "10-20 percent" barely scratches the surface of what's going through the schools. So why aren't they doing this? And how can we pressure them to make this happen?

[Anonymous]

I think it’s more expensive and logistically complicated than you think. And I also think it may be better to do focused testing - like “test to stay.” And there may not even be the supply of tests available to do that.

And agree with PP - what we DO have is freakin’ vaccines. Everyone who can needs to vaccinate.

[Anonymous]

The cynical part of me says that DCPS believes the less they test the less cases they’ll find. But I also believe they’re just way too incompetent to put a decent testing program in place. (I guess that’s pretty cynical too.) I’m not one who is freaking out about the cases or thinks we should go back to virtual. But I do think DCPS, with all its money, could be doing so much better for our kids.

[Anonymous]

They can. LA is doing it.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if they have looked at the results from other areas in terms of this type of testing and decided that the benefits were very small in relation to the cost.

[Anonymous]

A lot of private schools — even large ones — test weekly. Seems to work well for them.

But I agree with PP above. Requiring all adults to be vaccinated seems like the priority step.

[Anonymous]

This is not going to happen. I would encourage all to do the testing yourself each week with the free tests from the libraries.

[Anonymous]

Several charters are testing all staff and students, minus those that opt out, weekly.

It's definitely possible. Not sure yet what the benefits are but as a parent it is comforting.

[Anonymous]

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/997631.page

[Anonymous]

Mcps just ordered a ton of insta tests. It's possible .DC would just like to spend money on projects like homeless shelters (they should already have funded), not Covid crisis like keeping schools open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weekly? Or even bi-weekly?

This is what the private schools are doing and it's working. DCPS can take a portion of the $1.8 BILLION they were just given to hire a company to conduct tests on site (of which there are many). They split up the testing throughout the week so it's not the entire school on any given day. Teachers would have designated times where they release those kids for testing during the day and they're back in the classroom 10 minutes later. This would be a huge step towards identifying cases. Testing "10-20 percent" barely scratches the surface of what's going through the schools. So why aren't they doing this? And how can we pressure them to make this happen?

There are estimates that testing costs $33 per individual. Quick math of 50,000 students and 35 weeks of school is about 59-60 million per year for testing all students weekly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weekly? Or even bi-weekly?

This is what the private schools are doing and it's working. DCPS can take a portion of the $1.8 BILLION they were just given to hire a company to conduct tests on site (of which there are many). They split up the testing throughout the week so it's not the entire school on any given day. Teachers would have designated times where they release those kids for testing during the day and they're back in the classroom 10 minutes later. This would be a huge step towards identifying cases. Testing "10-20 percent" barely scratches the surface of what's going through the schools. So why aren't they doing this? And how can we pressure them to make this happen?

There are estimates that testing costs $33 per individual. Quick math of 50,000 students and 35 weeks of school is about 59-60 million per year for testing all students weekly.

I don't know where your estimate comes from, but let's say that's true. If they cut this to bi-weekly you're at $30 million out of $1.8 billion. If community spread rises you move to weekly. This is LITERALLY what the money is for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weekly? Or even bi-weekly?

This is what the private schools are doing and it's working. DCPS can take a portion of the $1.8 BILLION they were just given to hire a company to conduct tests on site (of which there are many). They split up the testing throughout the week so it's not the entire school on any given day. Teachers would have designated times where they release those kids for testing during the day and they're back in the classroom 10 minutes later. This would be a huge step towards identifying cases. Testing "10-20 percent" barely scratches the surface of what's going through the schools. So why aren't they doing this? And how can we pressure them to make this happen?

There are estimates that testing costs $33 per individual. Quick math of 50,000 students and 35 weeks of school is about 59-60 million per year for testing all students weekly.

I don't know where your estimate comes from, but let's say that's true. If they cut this to bi-weekly you're at $30 million out of $1.8 billion. If community spread rises you move to weekly. This is LITERALLY what the money is for.

The $33 is from this article https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/3/17/22336206/10-billion-for-covid-testing-in-schools-federal-reopening-push. In one of the posts above there is a link to a thread which quotes $35 per test for Shield T3.

I think weekly testing is worth it AND that there should also be a "test to stay" program implemented immediately. Weekly testing will hopefully identify all positives. It will also lead to identification of close contacts. One positive case in a school and dozens of students (and potentially staff) have to quarantine. A "test to stay" program would repeatedly test all close contacts and keep more students in school while minimizing risks of spread.

In the end, money will be spent -- whether later to make up for all the "lost learning" due to quarantines and instability of keeping schools operating or now through greater testing, vaccinations and mitigating spread.

[Anonymous]

LA school district is huge. So much larger than DCPS. If they can test everyone once a week. So can we! Shame on DCPS for not doing it. They have the money, they need the will. Yes, it causes some logistical issues. Those can be worked out. It is key to health and keeping kids in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can. LA is doing it.

So is Baltimore.