D109 Takes Big Step Toward District-Wide COVID-19 Testing

DEERFIELD, IL — After months of researching different COVID-19 testing options, Deerfield School District 109 Board of Education chose the SHIELD Illinois testing system Monday, according to a release.

The board entered into an agreement with the University of Illinois Board of Trustees because the test was developed by scientists at the school. However, the testing agreement is contingent upon the university receiving Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which currently is reviewing the school's EUA application.

Though some hurdles remain, and despite not announcing details of a testing schedule, administrators hailed the decision as a major step forward in getting students back to school as it existed before the pandemic.

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"As a district, we began researching testing options in July and have consistently evaluated the evolving options," Dr. Jane Westerhold, District 109 co-interim superintendent of schools, said in a release. "SHIELD Illinois has shown to be a proven and effective tool, with extremely high sensitivity and specificity rates of detecting the virus."

Westerhold added: "This additional risk mitigation moves us closer to our ultimate goal of offering full-day, in person instruction for families that choose it."

According to a release, District 109 will pay $20 per test plus the cost of transporting the samples to a lab, and the district is expected to hire additional staff to help implement the program.

District 109 touted the SHIELD Illinois test, saying it has been used 1.1 million times since its inception and helped keep COVID-19 positivity rates below 2 percent at the University of Illinois this past fall. The saliva-based test detects three genes of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which allows it to identify pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals along with new variants. Test results are available within 24 hours of the lab receiving a sample.

"This is why our SHIELD Illinois team exists: to provide a reliable testing solution that helps schools and other organizations do what they do best," said Ron Watkins, managing director of SHIELD Illinois. "(I'm) excited that we can help (District 109) students and teachers get back to school safely."

District 109 said it will offer more details about the testing program in the coming weeks.

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