How Pooled Testing Will Work In Reading Schools

READING, MA — The Reading Public Schools has partnered with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Department of Public Health to implement free COVID-19 pooled testing for students and staff.

Pooled testing involves mixing people's test samples together and testing the pooled sample for COVID-19. If the pool comes back positive, its members are individually tested. This increases the number of people that can be tested at once and allows the district to regularly test for COVID-19, Superintendent John Doherty said.

The tests will be administered at least once per week with a shallow nasal swab for all participating students and staff. Schools will receive the pool results within 24-48 hours, and follow-up tests will then be conducted individually if necessary.

Families will only be notified if their child requires follow-up testing. Students and staff in a positive pool can be tested as soon as possible and receive individual results in 15 minutes, Doherty said.

The Reading Public Schools will report follow-up test results to the state Health and Education departments.

To give permission for your student to participate in the COVID-19 Pooled Testing Program, including consent to transmit student information to the relevant parties, complete this form.