All 2021-2022 school COVID-19 updates can be found on the district’s 2021-2022 Reopening & COVID-19 Updates page here.

Dear Schodack Families,

The New York State Department of Health recently changed its school guidance related to COVID testing and quarantine. In their memo from December 3, it is stated they will now allow individuals who develop COVID-19 symptoms without any known exposure to be in school if they receive a negative nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) – like a PCR test which must be sent to a lab for results – or a negative rapid antigen test which takes about 10-15 minutes for results. This applies to all students regardless of their vaccination status. 

This means either a lab-certified negative rapid test or a PCR test will be accepted for symptomatic students to return to school if they have had no known exposure to COVID-19. Since rapid antigen test results are quick, this will reduce the amount of time our students are out of school for minor symptoms without known COVID exposure. 

This also means if a student who has consented to in-school COVID testing becomes symptomatic during the school day with no known exposure, they can remain at school if they receive a negative test result. However, if your student feels sick before the start of the school day please keep them home from school and notify your school’s nurse even if there is no known COVID exposure.

Finally, please remember that a negative result from an over-the-counter rapid home test will not be accepted. Home tests are screening mechanisms only and the local health department will require one of the lab-certified tests mentioned above to return to school if a student is symptomatic without known exposure.

Additionally, symptomatic individuals with no known exposure must:

  • be well enough to participate in school 
  • not have a runny nose or cough severe enough to make wearing a mask difficult or unhygienic
  • be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and comply with the district school illness policy to return to school after a non-COVID illness.

Jason Chevrier
Superintendent
Schodack Central School District