March 12, 2022 -DPS has announced it will relaunch on-site COVID testing on Monday, March 21, 2022.
DPS has re-launched the service hoping that students will use the service following Spring Break, especially students and staff who have traveled.
DPS is offering two types of COVID testing at it’s on-site location:
- SHIELD test: conducted by collecting saliva (spit), results available within 24-48 hours
- Rapid test: conducted by doing a nasal swab, results available within 15 minutes
At this time, testing will be offered for both DPS students and staff Monday through Thursday from 6:00 to 9:30 a.m. at DPS Student Services, located at 540 N. Franklin Street, Decatur.
Upon arrival at the testing site, parents/guardians and staff will be asked to sign a consent form (these forms will also be available at the testing site) and select how often they want to be tested by choosing one or more of the following options:
- Weekly Testing: Student/staff will be tested on average one (1) time per week, regardless of if they are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. Weekly testing is used to monitor the potential spread of COVID-19 within the school community.
- Test to Stay: It is recommended that students and staff who are identified as close contacts but have no symptoms submit to TWO (2) tests between day two (2) and day seven (7) after the close contact, with results being negative each time.
- Student or staff with symptoms: Students or staff who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, vomiting, and diarrhea) can be tested for COVID-19 using a rapid test and/or SHIELD (spit) test.
For students to be tested, the parent/guardian who is listed as the parent of record in Skyward must be present with the student for their first test to sign the consent form. Thereafter, the student may be accompanied by another parent/guardian when getting tested.
