MUSD makes COVID-19 test kits available

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Madera Unified School District staff hand out free rapid COVID-19 tests for students during a drive thru at Madera South High School on Monday.

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As school resumes after the winter break, Madera Unified is seeking to maintain in-person learning and to make it safe for students and staff alike to return to the classroom during 2022 by making available COVID-19 rapid at-home testing kits that are in short supply in the community.

Use of the tests are optional, but the district emphasizes their efficacy in promoting a safe learning environment in its schools. Test kits will be available on a voluntary basis for students and staff.

On Monday, MUSD distributed the testing kits to parents of the district’s students. The system provided for parents to drive by their children’s schools to pick up the kits, which were provided free of charge by the state and maintained in the district’s warehouse.

Each kit has two tests. Procedures call for participating students to take one test. If that test produces a negative result, the student is cleared to return to the classroom.

If the test produces a positive result, the student must wait five days and take the second test. If the second test is negative, the student is cleared to return to school. If the second test is positive, the student will not return to classroom learning right away.

According to Prince Marshall, executive director of MUSD student and family support services, Madera Unified is making the testing kits available to students at 19 school sites, including all three of its high schools.

Marshall noted, “The district understands the importance of returning safely from winter break, and wants to re-emphasize its commitment to providing in-person instruction while keeping its students and staff healthy.”