Last Wednesday, the first day of voluntary Safer at School Screening at Josiah Bartlett Elementary School, 20 students and staff members were tested for COVID-19.
Since the Bartlett School Board opted into the state Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education initiative to provide free COVID testing, 31 have opted into the program.
Pam Stimpson, director of special services of SAU 9, said the 20 Bears tested negative for the virus on Nov. 10, which also marked the rollout of SASS testing across SAU 9.
Kennett High School has been testing for four weeks, but Kennett Middle School, Conway Elementary, Pine Tree School, John H. Fuller Elementary and Josiah Bartlett Elementary School began testing on Wednesday.
According to Stimpson, 242 tests were administered across the district, resulting in one asymptomatic positive test.
Doing the testing is a four-member crew from Stewart’s Ambulance Services, who visited the schools and provided results the same evening.
“They started at 7 a.m. at the high school and wrapped up in Bartlett by 1:35 p.m.,” Stimpson said.
If people have tested positive for the virus within the past 90 days, they are not eligible to take the SASS test.
Unfortunately, COVID cases continue to soar, not only statewide but also in the county. DHHS reported 1,007 positive results across the Granite State for last Thursday, including 103 new COVID cases in Carroll County.
DHHS also announced five new deaths of N.H. residents aged 60 or older due to the coronavirus, with 255 people currently hospitalized due to the virus.
“The numbers are not going down yet,” SAU 9 Superintendent Kevin Richard said by phone on Nov. 12. “We had 14 more cases reported today (within the district).”
He added: “What we’re seeing through the SASS testing is that (the virus) is not really spreading in the schools. The bulk of the cases appear to be related to cases at home among siblings.”
When it logged 15 cases on Nov. 5, the K-6 Pine Tree School in Center Conway was the first school in SAU 9 to move into the red COVID designation this school year. As a result, the Pandas are following strict guidelines in smaller cohorts and with Project SUCCEED, the before- and after-school program, on pause until after Thanksgiving.
“Each school is treated differently regarding moving from one color to the next … as a result of a number of factors,” Richard said.
“The move to red (at Pine Tree) requires adjustments within the school environment including: reducing interactions between cohorts; canceling before- and after-school programming; increased cleaning; continued screening of students; eating lunch in classrooms; and increased social distancing when possible,” he said.
“We will do all that we can to keep our students face-to-face, but there is an increasing possibility that we may have to go remote for a period of time,” Richard said.
The SAU 9 Re-Entry Plan uses a color chart for operating conditions. Green is “minimal indicators of concern. Limited or no restrictions on school operations.” Yellow is “some indicators trend at elevated levels, moving school operations to follow modified protocols and procedures.” Red is “multiple indicators trend at elevated levels, moving school operations to strict protocols and procedures.”
Under green operating conditions, masks are optional.
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