Game changer? 22 tested in Grand Island schools, 22 stay in school in pilot program

It was hard to tell. Jessica, 9, hugged her small, blue stuffed bear before the test. This is the third time this school year that the fourth grader has been told she's a close contact of someone who tested positive, and had to quarantine.

Jessica and 21 others in the school district took part in the first day of the pilot test-to-stay program. All had been identified as close contacts. Without taking the rapid antigen test Monday, all would have been home for the day, learning virtually. But if they tested negative, they could remain in school.

Foscolo, like most parents bringing their children for the test before school, likes the program.

"For one thing, school is not just for learning, it's for socialization. That's what these kids need, and they miss the most," he said.

Jessica, who giggled as the nasal swab tickled her nose, said her best friends have had the coronavirus.

About five minutes after the test was administered, father and daughter got the word: She was good to go to school.

Erie County is using federal funding to provide tests, staff training, contact tracing support and data analysis for the pilot program. Grand Island, the only Erie County school district participating in the pilot program, contracted with Buffalo Homecare Inc. to administer the test, and is responsible for obtaining parental consent and collecting data. 

Superintendent Brian Graham said of the 22 students tested at the five Grand Island schools Monday, none of them had positive results. The test results also came more quickly than other "rapid" tests he has seen.

"That's a game changer. That can really help so many schools," Graham said. "For me it means that this could be done at all the schools if they had access to the test."

Parents gave the program high marks.

"I think more schools should start doing this after this test pilot, absolutely, give those parents and kids options to continue their learning, which is a huge thing," said Jessica Drossos. "And hopefully, we can all get back to normalcy sooner than later."

Her 9-year-old daughter Sienna, a fourth grader, is in her third quarantine this year. 

"When they told me, I started crying," Sienna said of quarantining.

The test-to-stay program allows children who are close contacts to be tested every school morning of their quarantine period, and if they are negative, they can go to class. But outside of school, they have to return home and quarantine, and cannot attend extracurricular activities.

"I have not been hot this morning," third grader Teagan Gallagher announced when she walked in the school door for her test. Her grandmother, Schatzi Gallagher, took her to school because her father is deployed with the military and her mother had to work.

"It's not that hard," Teagan, 8, said after being swabbed. "I haven't had the one where they stick it up your nose."

Jodi Haynes said having her daughter Juilanna, 8, tested was not her favorite thing to do, but she wants her in school.

"She's doing well in school and I don't want her to get more behind," Haynes said. "She's happy here. I'm happy for her to be here."

Like many of her schoolmates, 9-year-old Chloe Fraser recently found out for the third time that one of her close contacts had tested positive. But this time, the fourth grader will be able to go to school if she continues testing negative.

"I think it's good to keep the kids in school. I think that's important because all three times she's been quarantined she's been healthy, so had this been an option, she wouldn't have missed as much school," said Nadine Fraser, Chloe's mother. "It makes it hard on parents to have to take off all this time."