By Rich Palzewic
Staff Writer
DE PERE – At West De Pere’s COVID-19 workshop Nov. 2, Superintendent Dennis Krueger said the district is in the process of collaborating with CESA 6 to host an on-site form of a rapid COVID-19 test.
The results would be available within 24 hours of testing.
“We’re going to staff a site for COVID testing in our district for three hours a day,” he said. “It would be for our staff or families of our staff to be tested by their request. They have to have good reasons to be tested, not simply because they want to be. It’ll cost the district $100 per test, but they’ll get the results back within 24 hours. It would get teachers who test negative back into the classroom quicker instead of needing to quarantine and paying a sub for three days because they’re waiting on test results. We’ll have to spend some money for testing, but we can make that money up in saved substitute teacher costs.”
Krueger said the district didn’t invent this rapid procedure, but if it can help prevent the spread of the virus, the time, effort and money are worth it.
“There are several schools in the (Fox) valley utilizing it now,” he said. “It can be a situation where other districts in the area come to us well. No one would come into the building – they’d drive up similar to what you see at Prevea and get tested without leaving their vehicle.”
A separate staff member would conduct the testing.
“We wouldn’t want the staff member to be someone who’s normally in the building,” said Amy Schuh, director of student services. “That would be their sole job – doing the testing. There would also be some paperwork involved in the process as well.”
Krueger said another local district is willing to help.
“Wrightstown said they’d purchase all the PPE (personal protection equipment) for the site,” he said. “They’d like to send their staff to our spot, too.”
No set timetable was given as to when the site would be operational.