District trustees approved a non-invasive and rapid response COVID-19 test to be offered free of charge to Longview High School students and staff, during a special meeting Monday, Oct. 5th.
The Longview Independent School District Board of Trustees agreed to an agreement with U.S. MedTest Affirmative Solutions Group for free COVID-19 tests to the first 200 LHS students and staffers who sign up.
Place 2 trustee Mrs. Ava Welge cast the lone dissenting vote, as the measure passed 4-1.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. James Wilcox said the tests would be “100 percent voluntary” and would require parental consent.
“This is going to be first-come-first-serve for our high school students and staff,” he said. “The test is non-invasive, with some results available in minutes, and all results posted to the district website.”
And free of charge to LISD taxpayers, Dr. Wilcox added.
“U.S. MedTest would be covering the costs and supplying staff to administer the tests,” he said. “So it’s a win-win for our students, staff, and community stakeholders.”
The safety of Longview ISD students and staff is the “absolute top priority” for the administration and board, said Dr. Wilcox.
“We want all our students in LISD classrooms to ensure they have the most effective instruction possible,” he said. “Our district’s number one goal is to provide the most effective educational environment for our students and staff to be successful.”
Dr. Wilcox said the intention is to help implement a protocol for the State of Texas “to keep our schools open for the entire school year, by ensuring a safe workplace for all our teachers.”
All test results will be confidential to comply with FERPA and HIPAA requirements, and any reports of positive cases would be completely anonymous.
John E. Rosich III, President of U.S. Med Test, said all company protocols and testing 'meet the standards of federal reporting to help create actionable efforts in prevention and containment.'
'We first de-identify every patient to protect privacy rights through HIPPA Complaint dual-encryption and blockchain protection,' he said.
For More Info
Trustees usually meet in the boardroom of the LISD Education Support Center (1301 E. Young Street), but often set special-called meetings at various locations around the district.
The next regular meeting is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 12th.
Due to public health protocols currently in place, anyone wishing to attend the meeting in person must abide by COVID-19 guidelines, as only limited seating capacity is available. The meeting will be streamed online at LISD.org/BoardroomLive.
For more information about the Longview ISD Board of Trustees please click here.
