While there are no longer any Covid guidelines, Serial testing was added to the MHS health  ( options) to provide options for the students and staff who did not want the vaccine. Serial testing is a free weekly COVID test taken in the morning before school starts. Here at MHS, we test on Mondays, if there is no school on Monday, the tests take pace Wednesday.

“Immediately when we put that in place we saw a drop in quarantines,” Superintendent Dr. Carrie Stephenson said.

Serial testing had lowered quarantines which helped teachers provide a more consistent education fo all students. Following CDPHE guidelines, MHS has created many options for student to remain safely in school with no guidelines but many options.

“Although it’s a lot of work, I’m proud of what we’ve been able to do for our kids,” said Dr. Stephenson.

Montrose County School District has worked closely with the CDPHE ( Colorado Public department of Health)since the beginning of the pandemic, and have strictly followed their guidelines to work to keep all students and staff safe. As the CDPHE has changed their guidelines over the last year, MCSD has changed in accordance even  currently with no guidelines MCSD district has followed CDPHE guidance.

Serial testing is a complicated program and requires extra man power to test and track  results, but our district continuously works diligently to keep the student body as safely as possible. With COVID being a stressful time even now with no guidelines  Superintendent Dr. Stephenson has taken on a great deal of responsibility building the school staff and student body with many possibilities for all students. 

“The only reason we’re doing serial testing is because it follows the CDPHE guidance and gives us a way to keep kids back in school,” said Dr. Stephenson.

As with many COVID topics, serial testing is controversial, despite its intention as a tool to help keep students safe. Serial testing was placed as an option to help students and follow guidelines of the time; which has tremendously helped and had worked for lowering quarantines. 

“Kids don’t want to miss activities, kids don’t want to miss school, so for the most part they’re willing to do simple things that keep them out of quarantine,” Vice Principal Heidi Voehringer said.

Most students have signed up for these procedures or gotten the vaccine, which has helped the school ensure the safety of the children.

“Test of Stay is where, when you have a known exposure, you test twice in the five to seven day period,”  Voehringer said.

Test of Stay is another option for students, where they are tested twice a week when exposed to COVID, giving students more options to ensure their safety.All of these options have been chosen to keep student safely. While there are no longer any CDPHE guidelines all of the COVID options are still in place in order to make the students feel safer.