Coronavirus Test Required For Lake Forest High School Students

LAKE FOREST, IL — Lake Forest High School students who want to attend any in-person classes or take part in extracurricular activities must test negative for the coronavirus in a new screening programs.

District 115's new COVID-19 gateway testing program is mandatory for students but voluntary for teachers. Outgoing Superintendent Mike Simeck said the testing was "strongly encouraged" for staff.

Students may request exemptions from the requirement on an individual basis, Simeck said.

"Allowing exceptions increases the risk that an asymptomatic student could spread the virus to other members of the school community, putting both their health and in-person instruction at risk," he noted.

Lake Forest High School staff may began get tested free of charge at the LFHS Field House from Monday to Wednesday, when staff return to the school building following winter break, Simeck said in a message to the school community.

Testing for students will be available on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15, ahead of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Specimens are collected with nasal swabs.

Students whose parents or guardians have opted for the district's hybrid of remote and in-person instruction have also opted in to getting tested before they can return to the building, according to the superintendent.

No information about the number of students who have opted into the "e-hybrid" program for next month was immediately available Wednesday.

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Unlike the COVID-19 saliva screening program that becomes next week for New Trier High School students to return to campus, the Lake Forest gateway testing program in a one-time test.

Also unlike the New Trier High School District 203 school board — board members in Lake Forest Community High School District 115 have not publicly called for administrators to negotiate with unions that represent district staff in an effort to make testing mandatory.

Simeck said some people have questioned the district's authority to require testing.

"Under the Illinois School Code, school districts have the authority to mandate viral tests for students just as we require current health, dental, and vision examinations. The School Code also gives Illinois schools the authority to make operational decisions to protect the health and safety of those in our building," he told parents.

"Members of the community have also asked about CDC guidance indicating that school COVID-19 testing should be offered on a voluntary basis," he added. "While we respect the CDC, we see no credible basis for its conclusion and are not legally obligated by it."