Fox Chapel Area plans new covid strategy to help keep students in schools

Fox Chapel Area School District officials hope to keep more students in school receiving in-person instruction during the pandemic through a new strategy and state Department of Health guidance.

Test-to-Stay is a covid strategy that enables students and staff to continue learning and teaching in school while minimizing disruption of quarantine.

“I support our families having options to keep their children in school or return to school quickly,” said school director Amy Cooper.

Test-to-Stay allows unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals identified as having close contact to a covid case in school settings to continue in-person instruction as long as they remain asymptomatic and get a negative covid test.

Participants have to follow a testing process outlined by the state Department of Health. The guidelines are available on the department’s website, health.pa.gov.

Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said the district is in the enrollment process with the state to give Fox Chapel families the option to have students test or be quarantined following close contact.

“The Pennsylvania Department of Health determines the requirement for that program, and we (will) work collaboratively with the Allegheny County Health Department to implement that program,” she said. “With test-to-stay, it really is voluntary.”

It is not clear when test-to-stay would be implemented in Fox Chapel.

“At this point, we have not received a confirmation date from the state,” Reljac said.

Families can use rapid antigen tests for quick results, the guidelines state.

“TTS is only intended for school-based exposures,” according to the state. “Individuals who were exposed to covid-19 in non-school settings (e.g., household exposure) are not eligible for TTS under any circumstances and should continue to follow the latest quarantine protocol.”

District officials inform families of covid cases via emails. Cases are also logged online with the district’s covid tracker.

There have been 545 cases since August and as of Jan. 12, there were 255 cases in January alone. January numbers also include cases reported during the 10-day winter break.

Reljac said Allegheny County health officials have not recommended closing buildings and moving to remote learning.

The board unanimously voted earlier this month to approve an adjustment to the district’s health and safety plan.

Masks remain mandatory “when there is substantial transmission or high transmission of covid-19 in Allegheny County as defined by the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),” the safety plan read.

However, masks will be optional for everyone inside district buildings after five consecutive days of low to moderate covid case levels.

The updated plan was posted to the district’s website, fcasd.edu.