Montclair Schools Prepare For Pooled Coronavirus Testing

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The march to reopening schools continues in Montclair, where the district is set to kick off its pooled coronavirus testing program this week.

The Montclair Public School District has partnered with Ginkgo Bioworks Inc. to provide pooled SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) testing as it reopens from the pandemic. Second grade students in the district’s elementary schools will be the first to engage in this testing.

According to school administrators, pooled classroom testing, which combines swabs from all consenting individuals in a classroom and runs them as a single test, is an effective way to easily test many people at once with fewer resources.

Concentric by Ginkgo’s pooled testing program is used by schools in hundreds of communities across the country, including the state’s largest public school district in Newark. Ginkgo provides all training and testing materials, as well as lab and data processing services.

“I am pleased that the district can provide another measure to help keep our schools open and support the safety of our students and teachers,” Superintendent Jonathan Ponds said.

Pooled testing is one of several ways the district is trying to prevent coronavirus infection. Other strategies include health attestations, deep cleaning, social distancing, contact tracing, handwashing, ventilation and other facility enhancements, administrators said.

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