Bernards Township Schools To Implement COVID Test-To-Stay Program

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — A COVID test-to-stay program was suggested by Superintendent Dr. Nick Markarian, in an effort to keep kids in school "on a daily basis even if they have been identified as a close contact."

"The good news is with the testing we are really happy to have a way to keep kids in school every day rather than have them home waiting on a quarantine," said Markarian during the Feb. 28 Board of Education meeting.

The test-to-stay program was suggested as a plan by Markarian after consulting with Rita Zarabara, the district nursing coordinator, and other local health officials.

The program would begin by allowing students to test at home and then parents could upload their results with a photo to the school to show negative results and are cleared to come to school with a mask.

However, there will be two scenarios. If a student is identified as a close contact they would be required to test every other day for 5 days from the last exposure. If the tests are negative they can continue to come to school with a mask.

If a student is identified as a close contact within their household they must test daily for 5 days from the last exposure and also upload their results to continue to come to school with a mask.

Markarian said he will implement the plan this week based on the school statistics as it relates to COVID.

Zarabara broke down the statistics at the district.

Currently, 65 percent of students are fully vaccinated in the district. Here is the breakdown:

• Ridge High School - 87 percent
• William Annin - 67 percent
• Cedar Hill - 36.7 percent
• Liberty Corner - 43.5 percent
• Mount Prospect - 52.6 percent
• Oak Street - 51.6 percent

The staff vaccination is much higher at 92 percent, according to Zarabara.

From the beginning of school through Jan. 3 the district saw 208 COVID cases among staff where 87 percent of those were fully vaccinated. There were also 916 COVID cases among students where 50 percent were fully vaccinated.

After New Year's, Zarabara noted the district along with the entire country saw a jump in cases due to the Omicron variant.

"We were seeing 40, 50, 60 cases a day in the school," said Zarabara.

From Jan. 3 to Feb. 4, the district reported 442 cases in students of which 69 percent were fully vaccinated and 94 cases among staff in which 86 percent were fully vaccinated.

There were also two outbreaks reported.

Since Feb. 5, the district reported 34 student cases of which 76 percent were fully vaccinated and 3 cases among the staff of which 100 percent were fully vaccinated.

"Overall our cases are down," said Zarabara. "We are in a good place and hopefully it will go down even further and hopefully we won't have to deal with this."

This new guidance follows the district's decision to go mask optional beginning on Monday, March 7. Read More: Basking Ridge Schools Will Be Mask Optional Beginning March 7

Markarian noted the test-to-stay program would really rely on the honor system from parents and students with at-home testing.

"We have a great community and it's full of great people and I am confident that people will respect what we are trying to accomplish and help kids get to school and that's what it is really about," said Markarian.

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