COVID-19 Testing

Test-to-Stay (TTS) is a program that, when combined with regular COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., masking), allows students and staff who are identified as close contacts in certain school settings to continue in-person education, so long as they remain asymptomatic and serially test negative for COVID-19. 

TTS participants should be tested 2 times post-exposure in line with the following schedule:

• Test 1: Within Days 2 – 4 post-exposure (with the day of exposure being Day 0)
• Test 2: Within Days 5 – 7 post-exposure
• Tests 1 and 2 must be administered on non-consecutive days

Individuals participating in test-to-stay are eligible to continue in-person learning so long as they remain asymptomatic, adhere to all mitigation measures (e.g., masking) and test negative on two non-consecutive days: once between days 2-4, and once between days 5-7 post-exposure. Individuals in a TTS program can remain in school while awaiting testing and/or test results. 

More details about this program can be found on the PA Department of Health’s FAQ page

If you are 1) an in-school close contact, 2) asymptomatic, and 3) not or partially vaccinated, your school nurse can arrange for your participation in this program.  Participation includes:

• Completing the required consent form.  Note: This is the same consent form to participate in the Pool Testing program.  If you have already consented to participate in the Pool Testing program, there is not a need to complete the form again.  

• Administering a Rapid antigen tests on-site through our school testing program* or a Rapid antigen tests administered through a healthcare provider.

  • *The onsite program will be coordinated with the Pool Testing program.

  • At this time, at-home tests are not considered eligible for participation in TTS.

Click Here for the Required Consent Form

For Families: When prompted, enter the school-specific access code for your student.  

Foster Elementary - DA4EWY

Hoover Elementary - YQ609Z

Howe Elementary - BZBOSW

Jefferson Elementary - T0I44Z

Lincoln Elementary - C3RWPE

Markham Elementary - 76JV1I

Washington Elementary - Z686P2

Jefferson Middle School - NS1M2J

Mellon Middle School - YB1AGL

Mt. Lebanon High School - U41U1N

For Employees: Complete the paper consent form, and scan it to either Dr. Davis (rdavis@mtlsd.net) or Mrs. Hess (dhess@mtlsd.net). 

COVID-19 SYMPTOMATIC TESTING INFORMATION

Mt. Lebanon School District will begin offering rapid antigen testing to those students and employees that become ill with COVID symptoms DURING the school day and meet the COVID testing criteria (2 or more COVID related symptoms).  The testing will require prior parent/guardian consent.  To sign your child up for testing, visit the district web page, COVID 19 testing.  https://www.mtlsd.org/district/covid-19/covid-19-testing 

Students/employees that participate in the symptomatic testing will still be required to follow the illness guidelines as set forth by the Allegheny County Health Department.  This would include students/employees being sent home for specific illnesses per our protocol regardless of the test result.

Parents/guardians/employees will be notified of the results of the test immediately and including  via email or phone call.  If symptoms continue or worsen, parent/guardian and/or employee will need to continue medical follow up with their physician for a possible second test and/or alternate diagnosis.

• This is a viral test done with a quick nasal swab of both nostrils. This viral test checks the nasal specimen to find out if you are currently (the day of the test) infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.

• The testing is usually completed in 15 minutes. 

• Viral tests do not detect antibodies, suggestive of previous infection and do not measure your level of immunity

For Families:  You must enroll your child into their school’s pool testing program by completing the consent form.  Use this link to enroll your child into their school and when prompted, enter the school-specific access code for that child.  

Foster Elementary - DA4EWY

Hoover Elementary - YQ609Z

Howe Elementary - BZBOSW

Jefferson Elementary - T0I44Z

Lincoln Elementary - C3RWPE

Markham Elementary - 76JV1I

Washington Elementary - Z686P2

Jefferson Middle School - NS1M2J

Mellon Middle School - YB1AGL

Mt. Lebanon High School - U41U1N

For Employees: Complete the paper consent form, and scan it to either Dr. Davis (rdavis@mtlsd.net) or Mrs. Hess (dhess@mtlsd.net). 

Once enrolled, you will receive an email as to the day, time, and location to start participating.

Pooling is an effective and proactive means of testing large groups of individuals. Pooling means samples are collected from several people and mixed together. Pooling is a powerful way to test large groups of people and may be particularly useful for conducting surveillance testing on a massive scale. More information about pool testing can be found at this link.

Participants in the pool testing program should conclude that their individual result was negative, unless contacted by the District to participate in the follow-up antigen testing process. 

For those who participate in the follow-up rapid antigen testing process, you will receive a phone call from medical personnel employed by Concentric with your result. 

Yes, both students and employees are eligible to participate.

Yes, participation by faculty, staff, and students is completely voluntary.

Weekly.  A pool sample will be collected each week from all participants, and additional follow-up testing will occur as necessary for those individuals included in any pool sample results that are positive.

Samples are obtained via  a self-collected anterior nasal (AN) swab. Unlike a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab, which reaches deep into the nose to take a sample from the back of the throat, an AN sample is taken from the lower part of the front of the nose, at least half an inch inside the nostril.

Pool testing is intended to be a self-swab by the participants.  For students who are unable to self-swab, medical personnel will be available to assist.

All swabs tests will be collected into tubes (5 swabs per tube) and sent out from our buildings to a lab for processing.  We anticipate results will be available in approximately 72 hours.  Only positive cohorts, or pools, will require further action.

Individuals in a positive pool sample are retested at their school with a rapid antigen test*. 

*The CareStart™ COVID-19 Antigen Test is a lateral flow immunochromatographic assay intended for the qualitative detection of the nucleocapsid protein antigen from SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal or anterior nasal swab specimens directly collected from individuals who are either suspected of COVID-19 by their healthcare provider within the first five days of symptom onset or from individuals without symptoms or other epidemiological reasons to suspect COVID-19 when tested twice over two or three days with at least 24 hours and no more than 48 hours between tests.

Testing is limited to laboratories certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA), 42 U.S.C. §263a, that meet the requirements to perform moderate, high, or waived complexity tests. This test is authorized for use at the Point of Care (POC), i.e., inpatient care settings operating under a CLIA Certificate of Waiver, Certificate of Compliance, or Certificate of Accreditation. 

Clinical Performance:

• 93.75% PPA^a and 99.32% NPA^b when used with nasopharyngeal swab
• 87.18% PPA^a and 100% NPA^b when used with anterior nasal swab

^aPPA: Positive Percent Agreement, ^bNPA: Negative Percent Agreement.

Individuals who are part of a positive pool do not need to quarantine while they await their follow-up test results unless they are symptomatic.

Only asymptomatic individuals who opted into the program are permitted to participate in the pool testing.  Symptomatic individuals should consult with their medical provider to discuss COVID testing. A map of testing locations in the county is available here: https://bit.ly/ACTestingSiteMap

If you are symptomatic, you should not come to school and are to notify the school nurse that you have become sick with COVID-19 symptoms, are awaiting a COVID-19 test result, test positive for COVID-19, or are exposed to someone with COVID-19 symptoms or to someone with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19. 

You are unable to participate in the testing process if you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the previous 90 days leading up to the testing window. 

Note that you MUST be registered in advance to participate in the District's COVID testing program.  

Secondary sites open 7:30 AM

Elementary sites open at 8:15 AM

We strongly encourage you to review the testing procedure and practice with your child prior to testing, so they are familiar and prepared for the process. Below are two resources you may find helpful.

• CDC How to Collect Anterior Nasal Specimen document

• CA Department of Health video

Yes, you are able to opt-out on the scheduled day of testing. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Health released this Public Health Guidance for Pool Testing.

Concentric offers additional answers to many of the frequently asked questions on their website.