Rapid COVID tests for Fort Mill schools will start; teacher vaccine details emerge
Rapid response COVID-19 testing will begin for Fort Mill students and staff on Monday.
At the school board meeting Tuesday night, the Fort Mill School District outlined plans to test 9 a.m. -noon daily at Catawba Ridge High School. The rapid antigen tests provided by the state department will be set up in the athletic area at the concession stand. Students and staff can access it off White Road.
“We are on track to start on Monday,” said Amy Maziarz, executive director of special services for the district.
Tests will be by appointment. Sign-ups will be available on the district website. Tests will be available only for students and staff, and among them only for people who have symptoms to suggest they could have the coronavirus.
“They are not as sensitive as...tests that most people are getting from their physicians,” Maziarz said. “So they are not meant to randomly screen people. They are not meant to test people who are asymptomatic.
This is solely for symptomatic students and staff.”
Tests are free. Private insurance won’t be billed, but the district will look into possible Medicaid billing for some services. Tests will be available for in-person or virtual students and staff. That decision was made as most virtual teachers still lead lessons from school buildings, and some virtual students still go to school for athletic or other events.
“If they are a student, whether virtual or in-person, they’ll be allowed to get tested,” Maziarz said.
Verbal or written consent to test will be required. There was discussion Tuesday night regarding age, as the state health department would allow anyone 16 or older to give medical consent. The district could mandate parent notification or consent into its program.
“A 16-year-old that signs for consent that their respective parents are not aware of, gives me concern,” said board member Michele Branning.
All results will be sent to the health department via a secure website, Maziarz said. The district hired a nurse and will start with one test every 30 minutes. The program could ramp up to two tests every 15 minutes.
“We can increase the (appointment) times if we need to,” said superintendent Chuck Epps. “We’ll adjust. Like Amy said, we’ve never done this before. So we’ll see what we’re getting into.”
Maziarz said students and staff aren’t required to use the district testing, as more and more testing sites pop up with public access.
“Families do not need to use us,” she said. “We are just one more resource.”
Teacher, staff vaccine
Epps will join other superintendents around the state on a virtual meeting Thursday with the health department and state officials for an update on the vaccine rollout plan for school staff.
“That just excites everybody,” Epps said.
Educators are listed in phase 1B of vaccine distribution, behind critical care medical workers and nursing home residents but ahead of the general public. Epps expects to know more Thursday on how teachers and staff might receive vaccinations.
“As to how we do it, I guess it will be dependent on the instructions we’re given,” he said.
School districts will receive training. Epps doesn’t know whether school or hired nurses might give the doses.
“We just don’t know any of the details,” he said.
School COVID cases
Fort Mill, like other area public districts, has a district online dashboard to update positive coronavirus cases. The site updates twice weekly. It shows 85 active student cases. There are 24 active staff cases. Fort Mill High School has more than twice the active student cases, with 19, of any other district school. Prior to an update Tuesday, Catawba Ridge High School had the high mark.
District public information officer Joe Burke said there’s been some feedback and concern that the site isn’t always an accurate listing.
“That thing is 100% accurate and 100% true, to the best of our abilities,” Burke said.
Area districts, including Fort Mill, update data at least as often as the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control updates its listing. District figures are typically higher and more up-to-date than what DHEC provides.
“It’s one of the better tools that we’ve seen in our community for looking at what is the virus activity within our community,” said board member Brian Murphy.
The district dashboard began with a once weekly update. It recently went to Tuesdays and Fridays, to match the days DHEC updates.
“I think that’s a really good idea,” said board chairwoman Kristy Spears, “and I know it’s a lot of work and we’re sorry, but I think it’s helpful.”
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 8:29 AM.
