Medfield Schools Testing Program Gets State Extension

MEDFIELD, MA — The state will be funding the pooled testing program being utilized by Medfield Public Schools for a bit longer.

State education officials announced Monday the funding will be extended three more weeks through April 18. The initial funding window only ran through March 28, when any schools and districts wishing to continue testing would have to pay for it on their own.

The extension is a big deal for Medfield, which is pushing to bring all students back to full-time in-person learning by early April. Pooled testing is an important piece of the puzzle.

"We are excited about that (the testing extension),"said Medfield School Nurse Leader Kathleen Thompson. "We're doing it every Monday and Thursday at the high school and Blake Middle School, including staff."

Last week was Medfield's first week incorporating pooled testing, and Thompson said 1,000 tests were conducted. None of those tests came back positive.

She said participation has been strong with 70 percent of Medfield High School students participating and 65 percent at Blake Middle school. The majority of staff have also taken part.

"We're trying to keep the pools small," Thompson said. "We can put as few as five in a pool, and if a pool did test positive, we do have rapid tests in schools."

Thompson said the state extension also helps with costs because the pooled test can be expensive. She said they cost anywhere from $5 to $10 per test, and there's also a $200 monthly feed to administer them.

More than 170 schools and districts across Massachusetts have signed up for the program, which was announced in January.