As Westwood Public Schools transitioned students to in-person learning, protocols such as face coverings, hand washing, social distancing, and additional cleaning measures were put in place to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission among students, teachers, and staff in school buildings. Student COVID-19 PCR pooled testing is an additional layer to ensure that our students and staff are safe in our schools as best we possibly can be.

Student testing will protect the health of the community by quickly detecting, tracing, and isolating COVID-19-positive individuals—whether or not they become symptomatic. And, it will provide families and staff with peace of mind. The current safety measures in place combined with testing for staff and students will lower the risk of transmission.

What is pooled testing? Pooled testing combines a number of collected test samples into a pool, and analyzes the pool results. Pooled testing is conducted as surveillance testing. A group of no more than 10 samples is gathered together for bulk testing. If anyone is positive in the pool, then students that are in the pool will come back the next morning for an individual rapid COVID test. If the test is negative, they will proceed to class. If it is positive, they will follow our typical COVID protocol.  

The testing will always be painless, anterior-nasal swab test (a short swab no longer than a typical q-tip), even if you have to retest as part of a positive pool.  In grades 2-12, students will be trained to collect the sample themselves. In preschool through grade 1, our school will take the swab.

Please use this form to indicate your interest in having your child(ren) tested as part of our COVID-19 surveillance testing program.