MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Sarasota and Manatee counties plan to start up school in August was just approved by the Department of Education on Tuesday.
Both school districts have a lot of safety measures in place, like requiring face masks and checking temperatures.
But in Manatee County, they're also discussing the possibility of rapid testing students and teachers.
"Health policy is made measuring the risk versus the benefits, the cost versus the outcome and that's where we are right now,” said Manatee School Board Member Dr. Scott Hopes.
The Manatee County School Board is looking at all the options when it comes to not only reopening schools, but keeping them open.
“Keep in mind our schools have been shut down since spring break, so we don't know definitively what the effect of re-opening schools will be,” said Hopes.
There's a plan in place if a student or teacher tests positive, or has been exposed to the virus. It includes a 14-day quarantine.
The deputy superintendent for Manatee Schools previously told 10 Tampa Bay that the district can’t require a student or teacher to go get tested, or even share those results.
But Hopes says that's not the case.
“I believe that given the state of emergency that we are in, the contagiousness of this particular infection, that we probably I believe have more latitude than one would believe to require testing before someone comes to work,” Hopes said.
"If there was a documented need, we certainly could require a negative test before someone returns to the classroom especially,” Hopes said.
Hopes says the board will discuss the possibility of offering rapid testing.
“I think if we could pull that off in the next couple of weeks we will be better prepared to keep our schools open, once we reopen on August 17th,” Hopes said. “So I do believe you’ll be hearing more about it at least from the school District of Manatee County, about how we will make available rapid testing for employees and possibly students that have been exposed and need some sort of clearance to come back into the classroom.”
Whether this can become reality will fall on cost.
“That's one of the other dilemmas,” Hopes said.
“The cost of acquiring the antibody test kit,” Hopes said. “You're looking anywhere from $7 to $12 a test kit.”
With proper training and collaboration with the health department he says they could conduct these rapid tests right on campus in the school's clinic.
The Manatee County School Board will have a workshop on Aug. 4 to discuss this possibility further, and whether cost will be an issue.
If anything, Hopes says the district should be able to at least afford to rapid test teachers.
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