The Glendale Unified School District is responding to claims from some parents who say officials did not not give them enough time to get their kids tested before going back to school.
A notification went out last Wednesday saying a negative test would be required to return to campus Monday, Jan. 10. Several parents say there were long waits at district testing sites and that Glendale Unified did not provide at-home tests for students as promised.
Elizabeth Vitanza has a son at Franklin Elementary.
“We knew going into winter break three weeks ago that omicron was coming and that cases were already starting to go up,” Vitanza said. “So I don't know why Glendale Unified was pretending everything was going to be fine by the time Jan. 10 rolled around.”
A Glendale Unified spokesperson said in a statement: “As the omicron variant and this winter surge spread rapidly over the holidays, school districts across the country were forced to make some very quick decisions to protect the health and safety of our students and employees returning from winter break.”
The board directed the school district to begin resume in person as-scheduled, with added safety precautions. “This includes required masking indoors and outdoors unless actively eating or drinking, and a requirement to show a negative COVID-19 test upon return,” according to the statement.
The district added drive-through testing sites in the days leading up to the start of the term and is offering voluntary daily testing during the school week. At-home test kits from the state are expected Wednesday.
