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On Site and Accessible COVID Testing

December 9, 2020

Dear Families:

At last night’s School Committee meeting, the Committees supported a new opportunity for the schools to both facilitate COVID testing and to offer it on site.  This opportunity was brought to us through the Concord Fire Department who has contracted for on site testing for the past several months.  We know this will not only be convenient but also have our students and teachers in the classroom more and further our efforts at safety.  

This vendor is located in Cambridge where COVID PCR tests are available for institutions and municipalities who contract with them.  Appointments at the Cambridge site are available seven days per week, both days and evenings.  Appointments are made online.  Tests are processed at the Broad Institute with a turnaround time of 24 hours or less.  The testing in Cambridge costs $80 per test for families in the school community and is available for symptomatic and asymptomatic reasons.  This option is available immediately.  

We are also working to create a centralized testing site at Concord Carlisle High School.  Once we are up and running in January, we expect that parents can call ahead and bring symptomatic students to be tested at the school.  We are fortunate to have an outside door adjacent to the nurse’s office allowing for the testing to be removed from the mainstream of the school.  This onsite testing will be available for all students enrolled in the Concord Public Schools, Concord Carlisle High School, and the Carlisle Public School.  The fee will be charged in the office.  These tests also go to the Broad Institute.  We have direct access to test results when they are conducted at the high school.  We will provide specific details after the first of the year.  

We are providing the testing information on an as-needed basis in order to ensure the Cambridge and CCHS testing sites do not become overcrowded.  If you have a testing need, the contact information is available through the school nurses, principals, and superintendent’s office.  

Please let us know if you have any questions.  Thank you for your ongoing support.


Best,

Laurie