The Anchorage School District is preparing to welcome students back into buildings for the first time in nearly 10 months.
Along with mitigation strategies such as PPE and rearranged classrooms, regular testing will be part of the school experience.
ASD officials are encouraging students and staff returning to classrooms next week to get tested for COVID-19, along with their families.
The district has partnered with the Anchorage Health Department to offer pop-up testing sites that are free and open to the public. The sites are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the following 11 schools:
• Jan. 11: Central Middle School
• Jan. 15: Nunaka Valley Elementary School
• Jan. 16: Williwaw Elementary School
• Jan. 18: Alaska Native Charter School
• Jan. 22: Ptarmigan Elementary School
• Jan. 23: Creekside Park Elementary School
• Jan. 25: Airport Heights Elementary School
• Jan. 29: Tyson Elementary School
• Jan. 30: Lake Hood Elementary School
Once school buildings reopen to students on Jan. 19, the district will offer walk-up testing for symptomatic students and staff during normal school hours at Chester Valley, Abbott Loop, North Star, Russian Jack, and Tyson elementary schools, and at school-based health centers in Begich and Clark middle schools and East and Bartlett high schools. Test results are expected within 24 hours.
The district has also obtained two rapid testing machines that can provide results even faster.
