On Dec. 30, Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District Superintendent Peter Smith sent the following letter via SchoolMessenger to J-D families and staff.
Dear Jamesville-DeWitt Families and Staff,
This week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a statewide goal of providing students the opportunity to be tested for COVID-19 as school resumes after holiday break. The state is sending to the district a supply of in-home test kits that may be distributed to families. There is no requirement that families test their children, but the Governor is encouraging the testing of students in order to keep students and school communities as safe as possible.
While it is unclear exactly when the test kits will be delivered by New York State, we are working on plans to use our school buildings as distribution sites. If you would like a kit, please watch for additional information coming soon. In the event that we receive a sufficient supply, there will be a limit of one kit per student. If we receive fewer kits than the number of students in the district, kits will be available on a first come first served basis.
Please note the district is simply a conduit for distribution. We will not be tracking or reporting results. We ask that families who utilize the kits and have a child with a positive test result report the positive case to the local health department and work with the district to follow all isolation and quarantine requirements. Parents should submit positive test results through the portal provided by Onondaga County.
To clear up any possible confusion, this opportunity to receive a free test kit is not related to the Test to Stay (TTS) program. Information on TTS will be forthcoming, as applicable.
Thank you for your continued support as we navigate the complications created by this pandemic. Have a safe and Happy New Year.
Sincerely,
Peter Smith
Superintendent