Midlakes continues to prepare and respond to COVID-19 and its impact on the school community. As part of this response, the District has begun preparations should Ontario County or our region is designated a Yellow Zone in New York's Micro-Cluster initiative.

Under the Micro-Cluster initiative, schools in an area designated a Yellow Zone will be required to randomly test 20% of in-person students, teachers and staff over a two-week period. Schools unable to test 20% will be required to move everyone to full remote instruction. If testing results in a positivity rate that is lower than the Yellow Zone's overall positivity rate, then the District does not have to continue testing and can continue in-person instruction.

If the results of testing reveal that the positivity rate among in-person student, staff and faculty is higher than the Yellow Zone’s current seven-day positivity rate, the school will be required to continue to test 20% of the in-person population on a bi-weekly basis.

 Schools in a Yellow Zone will administer a new rapid COVID-19 test that differs from the ones families may have already experienced. The new test is less invasive and involves a quick swab inside the lower part of the nose. Also:

• The test will be completed on campus by trained staff at no cost to the parent.
• Families will be notified within 24 hours of a positive result.
• Families will be notified before any testing is done, with communication going out if your student is selected for a testing group.
• Families will need their student's five-digit ID number, which can found with their report cards and in SchoolTool. Call your school if you need more assistance.
• UPK students will be excluded. While the program is housed on campus, UPK students are not enrolled in the District.

For students to participate in the free diagnostic testing, parents/guardians will need to complete the COVID-19 Consent Form. A test will not be administered without parental/guardian consent. Please complete the form for each child, regardless of whether you are giving permission for testing, as soon as possible.

The District is collecting consents now to help avoid unnecessary delays in testing and prevent any disruption to in-person learning. The District will share more detailed information about testing in the event of a Yellow Zone designation. Families needed a paper version of the form should contact the Elementary School Main Office at (315) 548-6900 or the Secondary School Main Office at (315) 548-6300.