Aldine ISD to Offer COVID-19 Rapid Testing to Staff and Students

Disponible en: Español

Aldine ISD will be adding an extra level of protection from COVID-19 for students and staff. Starting Tuesday, December 8, drive-thru rapid testing will be available to all on-campus students and staff. The fast-acting test kits, created by BinaxNOW, allows individuals to take their own nasal sample by simply swabbing the inside of the nostril and providing results in just 15 minutes.

Aldine has joined the state rapid testing pilot program offered to districts by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The district first implemented the program in November at several campuses for student-athletes participating in the athletics program, band, cheer, and dance.

The TEA has provided the district with testing equipment, PPE, training, and additional notification procedures to ensure each test is conducted safely and results are shared quickly. Testing will be offered by appointments only Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. excluding holidays and Spring Break at the Aldine ISD Child Nutrition Center, 1802 Aldine Bender Rd. Online registration is required.

Appointments and registration can be accessed online.

What tests are used in this program?

This program uses BinaxNOW tests, which provide results in 15 minutes and are administered using a nasal swab in the front area of the nostril. These tests have been shown to be highly accurate, with accuracy rates of 97-98% for symptomatic individuals.

Who will be tested and when?

Beginning Tuesday, December 8, rapid testing will be available to all on-campus students and staff.

Is this test free to take?

Yes. These tests are being provided free of charge from the federal government, and school systems cannot charge for administering the tests.

How will the information from the tests be used?

Test administrators will receive test results via text within 15 minutes and will also receive a confirmation text or email within 24 hours. The results will also be shared with the local health department to allow for public health reporting and contact tracing and to determine the stay-at-home period for anyone who tests positive.

What steps are required to participate in the program?

Testing will be offered by appointments only Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. excluding holidays and Spring Break at the Aldine ISD Child Nutrition Center, 1802 Aldine Bender Rd. Online registration is required and appointments can be accessed online.

Can anyone take the test?

Currently, the test is only available to Aldine ISD students learning on campus and campus-based staff who have completed the rapid-test registration form.

Will the district share my results with everyone?

No. All personal information is kept confidential. Aldine ISD will follow district protocols and contact the local health authorities for any lab-confirmed cases. Anyone who has been in immediate contact with the student or employee will be notified. Our protocols follow the Texas Education Agency’s reporting structure, which communicates cases Monday through Saturday and considers a case active for 10 days. Please reference the COVID-19 dashboard for an overview of the reported positive cases by school or building.

What happens if someone tests positive?

In the event of a positive COVID-19 case, each campus/department will follow the Three Cs:

Contain (student/staff will wait for departure in the wellness room on each campus)
Contact (all those who have been in close contact with the individual are notified)
Communicate (share information about confirmed cases with our community)

As we learn of new COVID-19 cases, we follow all of our cleaning and safety protocols and review each case to determine what steps need to be taken to ensure the safety of students and staff.