Dallas ISD expands COVID-19 rapid antigen testing program to majority of schools

In a move to add an extra level of protection from COVID-19 for students and staff during the pandemic, Dallas ISD has joined a rapid testing antigen pilot program offered to districts by Governor Greg Abbott with TEA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The BinaxNOW Rapid Testing Pilot Program is providing the district with fast-acting test kits that allow individuals to take their own nasal samples that can show results in 15 minutes when mixed with a chemical reagent.

The district started the rollout of this program with student athletes and is now in the process of going districtwide and being made available to all employees on a voluntary basis.

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Currently, the rapid testing antigen program is optional to schools but the majority of Dallas ISD’s schools have opted in.

If a parent wishes to have their child tested, they would need to reach out to their child’s school nurse for the nurse to conduct the test.

In the event of a school closure, schools will give parents the opportunity to have their child tested the day before returning to campus. A parent would need to bring their child to campus and perform the test on the student themselves as it is a swab test.

“This additional safety measure allows us to find asymptomatic people in our schools who don’t know they are carrying the virus,” said Sherry West, Deputy Chief of Staff.