Henrico Schools to discontinue COVID-19 screening testing for athletes in spring season

Henrico County Public Schools student-athletes participating in spring sports will not be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 screening testing.

The decision was made based in part on the county’s strong vaccination rate, said HCPS Chief of Staff Beth Teigen during a Henrico School Board work session Feb. 24. About 60% of Henricoans age 5 to 17 are vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health.

HCPS required all unvaccinated athletes and coaches participating in winter sports to be tested weekly, which provoked the ire of some parents. Part of the rationale for focusing on winter sports was because they were held largely indoors, Teigen said. Those included basketball, swimming and wrestling.

Spring sports are held outdoors and include baseball, softball, tennis, soccer and outdoor track.

In making the recommendation, the HCPS health committee also considered the feasibility of continuing the program based on logistical factors like the increased numbers of athletes who participate in spring sports.

The school board did not need to take action on the recommendation because it falls under operations. Tryouts for spring sports begin on Friday.

Test-to-stay

With a supply of nearly 5,000 at-home COVID-19 tests, HCPS began a “test-to-stay” program this month. The program, run by the state health department, allows unvaccinated students who have been exposed to COVID-19 to continue attending school during their five quarantine period.

Students who have been in close contact with an infected person take an at-home COVID-19 test every morning or night for five days after exposure to the virus. If the test is negative and the person is asymptomatic, the student is allowed to stay in school. Students must have parental permission, otherwise they have to stay home during their quarantine period.

When HCPS announced that it would participate in the program in January, the COVID-19 landscape in schools looked much different; cases in schools were peaking and vaccination rates for children were lower at about 56%.

In the first full week of the program’s implementation last week, only eight students participated.

Participation is lower than HCPS officials had expected when the division committed to the program, Teigen told the Citizen. But the participation is not shocking now because the transmission levels in schools have decreased.

HCPS stopped contact tracing each positive COVID-19 case, following the lead of the state health department, which assisted in the effort. However, there are several ways that a close contact may be identified even without tracing by school staff, said HCPS spokeswoman Eileen Cox.

“For example, if there are multiple COVID cases in a class, grade level or on a bus, students seated nearby would be considered a close contact and may be given Test to Stay kits (with parental permission),” Cox said in an email. “Also, a parent or guardian may report to the school that their child is a close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID and request to participate in test-to-stay.”

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Anna Bryson is the Henrico Citizen's education reporter and a Report for America corps member. Make a tax-deductible donation to support her work, and RFA will match it dollar for dollar.