Averill Park CSD Families,
On Monday, January 4, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that school districts which reside in a county that has a COVID-19 positivity rate of 9% or higher must begin to randomly test at least 20% of its students and staff members in order to remain open for in-person learning.
We believe this change replaces the color-coded zone designation which we previously informed the community about. At this time, the Governor’s Office has not released further written guidance related to this matter, including when testing could begin for school districts.
Please know that the Averill Park Central School District has been diligently preparing for in-school COVID-19 testing with an internal team, as well as in conjunction with Questar III BOCES and the Rensselaer County Department of Health. The District is confident that it is ready to begin testing should the state mandate it. Our plan to select names from a list compiled through the use of the consent form which was shared last month will continue to be the method of selection for testing students.
Rapid testing will be completed via a non-invasive method, not the deep swab procedures performed at medical facilities. To view a video demonstration of what testing may look like, click here. If you have not yet given consent and wish to do so, please fill out this form.