School committee votes to follow DESE guidance: weekly at-home antigen tests and end to in-school contact tracing

The Blackstone-Millville School Committee approved a motion to follow the new DESE guidance and switch from routine test-and-stay and in-school contact tracing to symptomatic testing plus a district-provided, opt-in at-home antigen testing program. The decision was made by voice vote after a presentation from the district health staff and discussion among committee members.

Health staff described the operational changes: the district would stop routine testing of close contacts and discontinue individualized contact tracing for most cases, continuing symptomatic testing at school and providing two-test kits to opt-in staff and students on an every-other-week cadence (one kit contains two tests to be used across two weeks). Karen, the district health presenter, said the change was prompted in part by local and state findings that the previous test-and-stay program returned predominantly negative results ("98 percent of our tests have been negative"), and that the new model shifts testing responsibility to families who opt in to receive home tests.

Under the new option, families and staff who opt in would receive kits shipped to the district on a schedule that required the district to notify the vendor quickly to receive the first shipment; staff would receive kits in the first week and students in the following week. Only positive at-home results must be reported to the district; negative home-test results will not be reported to state public-health dashboards, though positives will still be included in DESE reporting.

Committee members raised operational and equity concerns: several asked how the district will ensure families actually test and report positive results, how the policy will affect extracurriculars and buses, and whether removing school-based contact tracing will let cases go undetected until classroom absence spikes. Proponents argued the district needs to prioritize staff time and follow DESE guidance; opponents warned that relying on family opt-in and self-reporting may reduce early detection.

A motion to "follow the new guidance and send the test kits home" was made by a committee member (speaker 12) and seconded; the committee called the vote and members voiced "aye." The transcript shows the motion carried by voice vote but does not record a numeric tally or list all members' votes. The administration said they will finalize protocol language and implement shipment and opt-in logistics immediately once the district's choice is entered with the vendor.

Next steps include public communications to families about the opt-in process, the district’s plan for distributing kits and reminders, and a Monday follow-up meeting that will present final circulation software and special-education staffing details. The district will continue symptomatic testing at school and has said it will provide additional information and reminders to families who opt in.