Today, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) announced a one day delay their return for in-person learning following their current winter break. The district plans to resume in-person instruction for all schools on Tues., Jan 4 so that they can provide rapid antigen Covid-19 testing for SPS staff and students on Mon., Jan. 3.
According to officials, the decision to delay instruction by one day comes amid a recent increase in the number of Covid cases throughout the district. While there is no school on Jan. 3 for students, grab-and-go meals will be available 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at schools.
The district recently announced limited testing opportunities for some students, as well as testing opportunities for staff, including:
• Sun., Jan. 2 – Test clinics in partnership with Premier Medical Group will still be open for students in Southeast and Central Seattle.
• Mon., Jan. 3 – Several SPS middle schools will serve as Covid testing sites for students. These are regional testing sites open to all SPS students. All clinics will be held in the cafeteria unless otherwise noted. Student testing sites will be open 1-4 p.m. Educators can access Covid testing at their school.
• Tues., Jan. 4 – Through the week, PCR testing and rapid antigen testing will be available for students and staff at their school.
The district has secured approximately 60,000 rapid antigen tests from the State Dept. of Health and expects to maintain an ongoing supply throughout the remainder of the school year.
While testing is not mandatory, SPS is strongly encouraging all staff and students to participate in the program. More information about Covid testing opportunities for students is available online at https://www.seattleschools.org/news/covid-testing-for-students.
