Several hundred students spent the final day of their winter break standing in line to get a COVID-19 test — after the Santa Barbara Unified School District’s distribution of kits and messaging prior to the break apparently broke down.
In different messages, the district called the testing “completely voluntary,” “highly recommended” and “requested.” Prior to the break, the district requested that all students pick up a kit for home testing between Dec. 15 and 17, and asked them to take the tests between Dec. 31 and Jan. 2.
Classes resume Monday, Jan. 3.
The three high schools — Dos Pueblos, San Marcos and Santa Barbara — distributed the kits differently to their campuses, with varying success. Some principals hand-delivered the kits and took them to students and teachers directly.
According to Superintendent Hilda Maldonado, Santa Barbara High experienced the biggest problem, which prompted long lines of students getting tested Sunday at Earl Warren Showgrounds and picking up at-home tests by the flagpole on campus.
Students also waited in long lines Friday and Saturday, not knowing whether the tests were voluntary or required.
“We did not do a very good job distributing our tests on Friday the 17th,” Santa Barbara High Principal Elise Simmons told Noozhawk.
She was among the district employees handing out kits in person Sunday. She said SBHS handed out 750 tests over the break and another 270 as of 1 p.m. Sunday.
“We are strongly recommending students take the tests before coming to school tomorrow,” she said.
Maldonado confirmed that the tests are voluntary, but that officials want all students to take one. On Sunday afternoon, the district sent out an FAQ attempting to clarify the situation.
“It was great to see so many of you out today at Earl Warren and/or at Santa Barbara High School getting COVID tests,” she wrote. “We have received some clarifying questions.”
The statement says that “it is highly recommended that staff and students test before Monday. In addition, we will continue to use the CrisisGo questionnaire to attest symptoms or possible exposure to a positive case.”
At Dos Pueblos High, Principal Bill Woodard put out a message via ParentSquare and social media early Sunday:
“I know there has been a bit of confusion regarding testing. To clarify, we strongly encourage each student to complete their COVID rapid tests that were distributed in period 2 classes prior to recess, but it is not required (again, strongly recommended).
“If your student didn’t pick up their COVID test box before the break, there are free tests at Earl Warren today.”
Woodard told Noozhawk that “the rise in cases/Omicron over the break, along with changing guidelines from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have understandably made things confusing, and some parents did reach out about whether testing was required.”
Of the three high schools, the test distribution seemed to work best at Dos Pueblos.
“Most students did take the kit home,” Woodard said. “But some used it earlier than this week and some were absent or didn’t take one before break.”
Further contributing to the long lines at Earl Warren, Maldonado said, was a decision by the district to contract with an on-site testing company. She said some families preferred to have the test performed by a health-care professional rather than taking it at home, which resulted in a longer wait Sunday.
She stressed that the testing “has never been mandatory.”
“The testing is highly recommended,” Maldonado said.
She said she felt comfortable with the situation.
“We had one glitch at Santa Barbara High School,” Maldonado said. “For the most part, I feel we have distributed the tests and communicated to all families.”
She also said that SBUSD was the only local school district that sent home kits in the first place.
The district had distributed nearly 17,000 of the tests as of Sunday, Maldonado said.
“On top of the at-home tests for every student, we offered the Aptitude (on-site testing) as another option,” she said.
The good news, Maldonado said, is that people are wanting to get tested.
“The overall process is positive in that we had so many people taking responsibility and getting tests done for themselves,” she said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
