PVSchools partners with nationwide infectious disease testing firm to provide no-cost COVID-19 testing for students, their families, and district staff.
PVSchools has partnered with In Office Diagnostics (DX) to provide all students, their families, and all district staff the opportunity to be tested for COVID-19 without any out-of-pocket costs to families or the district. Testing is completely voluntary, and helps to identify and isolate infected individuals. All public health guidelines for quarantining still need to be followed.
Testing to diagnose COVID-19 is part of a comprehensive strategy and is being used in conjunction with mitigation efforts to reduce the spread (e.g., cloth face mask use, social distancing, hand hygiene); maintaining healthy environments (e.g., cleaning and disinfection, ventilation); maintaining healthy operations (e.g., scheduling, combination of online and in-person learning, cohorting); and following guidelines for quarantining and when someone shows symptoms.
Important Details to Know
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Testing is voluntary.
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Results are received within 24 hours.
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The cost of testing is covered with a combination of individual health insurance and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding for uninsured individuals.
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Public health guidelines for quarantining still need to be followed at each school.
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Voluntary testing helps to identify and isolate infected individuals.
What Is the Process to Get Tested?
Download the COVID-19 child testing consent form.
Formulario de permiso para la prueba de COVID-19 a menores.
Testings for students would need to be requested by a parent or legal guardian, and the parent or legal guardian must sign the "Child COVID-19 Testing Consent Form" before testing can occur.
In Office DX K-12 Pandemic Response Program has three main ways to receive testing:
- Students and staff can be tested by school nurses at their assigned school campus during the regular spring and fall sessions. All other individuals may be tested at the district testing site (see below for details). Please note: Families are not able to be tested at schools.
- Students, staff, and families can be tested at the PVSchools District Administration Center drive-thru site. To register, visit the In Office DX website and click the red “K-12 School Testing” button at the top of the page.
Testing at the PVSchools District Administration Center drive-thru site will begin on March 11, 2021. Operating hours are as follows:-
Wednesday and Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The PVSchools District Administration Center is located at 15002 N. 32nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85032. See a map of where to enter our District campus for drive-thru testing.
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Students, staff, and families can be tested at In Office DX’s Mesa, AZ facility. Testing is done by appointment only. To register, visit the In Office DX website and click the red “K-12 School Testing” button at the top of the page.
In Office DX’s Mesa, AZ facility is located at 7007 E. Main St., Mesa, AZ 85207. Testing hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Who Will Perform the Tests?
When the regular school year is in session, PVSchools will have registered nurses (RNs) at every school campus who have been trained to perform COVID-19 testing. Contract nurses from In Office DX will also be brought in when a large number of tests needs to be conducted.
Testing for students and staff will be available at every school campus during the regular spring and fall sessions, and will only be completed once a parent or legal guardian has signed the "Child COVID-19 Testing Consent Form."
Testing conducted at the PVSchools District Administration Center drive-thru site and In Office DX’s Mesa, AZ facility will be conducted by In Office DX employees.
What Type of Testing Will Be Used?
A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, also called a molecular test, will be used. PCR testing is considered the “gold standard” in COVID-19 detection. This test detects genetic material that is specific to the virus and can detect the virus within days of infection, even those who have no symptoms. PCR testing is also able to quantify the viral load (i.e. how much of the virus is in an individual’s body), which helps healthcare professionals determine where an individual is at in the infection process.
How Is the Test Performed?
A fluid sample is collected by shallowly inserting a nasal swab (similar to a Q-tip) into each nostril. The soft tip of the swab is rubbed in a circle around one nostril approximately 3 to 4 times.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends this shallow nasal swab technique for effective patient sample collection. This low invasive approach is fast and comfortable for children.
For those students and families who are not able to receive a nasal swab test, a cheek/under tongue swab test can be conducted.
If you would like to watch this video in Spanish, please click on: La Prueba de COVID-19 con Hisopo Nasal en PVSchools.
Once the Test Is Performed, What Happens to the Specimen?
After a swab test is conducted, the sample will be taken to In Office DX’s laboratory for analysis.
How Will I Receive the Test Results?
Test results are available the following day after the sample was taken, and results are sent directly to the individual’s online portal. Online portal access is secured by a two-part verification text message. The individual or parent/guardian will receive a secure text message with an access code that will be used to open the lab results.
How Will Results Be Kept and My Child's HIPAA Info Be Protected?
PVSchools adheres to all privacy laws, as it does with all other matters involving our students and staff. Test results will be shared with the student’s school for the sole purposes of identifying others who may have been exposed. Test results will be sent to the Maricopa County Public Health Department or to any other governmental entity the law requires.
The release of any legally privileged and confidential records (e.g. educational and/or medical records) will be in accordance with applicable privacy protection laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
In Office DX adheres to all privacy laws and uses software that is Service Organization Control 2 (SOC) compliant with Department of Defense (DOD) encryption. In Office DX’s policy is to only release protected healthcare information to designated personnel that corresponds with signed patient consent forms.
What Is the Cost to Be Tested?
The testing for COVID-19 will be performed without any out-of-pocket costs to families or the district. The cost of testing is covered with a combination of individual health insurance and CARES Act funding for uninsured individuals.
What If the Test Result Is Positive?
If your child has received a positive test result, they CANNOT go to school, and must stay home until:
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10 days since the first symptoms were present AND
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No fever is present for at least 24 hours (without the use of medications) AND
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Other symptoms have improved.
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If no symptoms are present, your child must stay home for 10 days.
What If the Test Result Is Negative?
If your child has received a negative test result, they can go to school only if the following
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They have not experienced a sustained exposure to someone with COVID-19 (sustained exposure is within 6 feet for more than 10 minutes). If they have experience sustained exposure to someone with COVID-19 they must stay home for 10 days after the most recent exposure.
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They must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and symptoms have improved before returning to school.
Review our easy-to-follow chart (Evaluación de COVID-19) to determine when and if your child should attend in-person.
Whom Do I Contact If I Have Questions?
In Office DX has dedicated client coordinators on staff at their corporate offices that are available from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for any questions related to K-12 testing. They can be reached at 1-877-585-2533 and by email at K-12testing@inofficedx.com.
Please do not contact the school or school nurse for testing results.
See all of this COVID-19 testing information in a 2-page flyer.
Información acerca de las Pruebas de COVID-19 en PVSchools.
About In Office Diagnostics (DX):
In Office DX is a nationwide infectious disease testing firm. Its core mission has been to improve patient care and reduce aggregated healthcare costs. Its corporation places high complexity laboratories and staff directly in healthcare facilities across the country.