Wilmington Currently Ineligible For New State Home Test Program

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington Public Schools is not currently eligible for the state's new home testing program, a district official confirmed.

Under the state program announced Tuesday, students and staff will be sent home with rapid tests weekly, with school nurses asked to focus on symptomatic coronavirus cases.

Districts that opt in will begin receiving tests next week for distribution starting Jan. 31, state officials said Tuesday. The program — which begins as optional for districts — is intended to alleviate overwhelmed school nurses from the burden of test-and-stay and contact tracing and allow them to focus on identifying symptomatic coronavirus cases in children. State guidance will advise districts to continue weekly pool testing for students and staff.

But districts must participate in either pooled testing or symptomatic testing to be eligible, and Wilmington does not participate in either program, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Tracy Ingersoll said.

The district currently uses contact tracing and the "test-and-stay" program, where asymptomatic close contacts of people with coronavirus are tested and allowed to stay in school if negative.

Still, district officials are considering their options.

"The district is in the process of gathering additional information from DESE, our Board of Health, and our school district physician about the various options associated with the new program," Ingersoll said.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.