The start of the school is now just days away. During the 2021-2022 school year, Illini Central CUSD189 will implement a voluntary Covid testing protocol to staff and students.
We will offer, on a voluntary basis, for students and staff two participate in one or both of two testing options:
- Shield IL testing is a saliva based, diagnostic test that can identify Covid positive individuals before symptoms appear.
- BinaxNOW rapid antigen testing that provides results in 15 minutes. This is particularly useful in testing symptomatic individuals and those who are considered to be close contacts to Covid-positive individuals.
We are utilizing testing because we believe that we will reduce the number of students and staff who are required to quarantine because of symptoms or close contact. We also believe that the screening capabilities of the Shield IL test will identify Covid positive individuals before they become contagious. This will result in a reduced possibility of transmission in the community.
We have one consent form that can be used by parents to allow their children to participate in the tests. If you wish, you can only choose to participate in one test. For example, you may only want the district to test your child if he/she is a close contact. In that case, choose the BinaxNow option. If you only wish to have the screening test, choose the ShieldIL option. If you wish to participate in both, please choose both options. These tests are completely voluntary. You can choose to opt out of testing at any time. Enrollment in the testing options will be open--there is no deadline.
The consent form can be downloaded here. If you are interested, please print the form, sign it, and send it to school with your child. We will also have consent forms available at our Meet the Teacher Night on Monday, August 16.
I have provided a link to the University of Illinois’ Shield site for those who wish to learn more about the program.
Again, we are looking forward to the arrival of students on campus as well as to the beginning of what will be a great school year.