Starting Monday, seven Fayette county public schools will begin allowing students with COVID-19 exposures to stay in class, as long as they test negative and remain asymptomatic.
The strategy, commonly called “test-to-stay,” is debuting as a pilot program at five elementary schools — Breckinridge, Clays Mill, Dixie, James Lane Allen, and Julius Marks, and two middle schools —Crawford and Jessie Clark.
The program is voluntary and applies only to students who are exposed on campus.
"So there still will be some instances, should a student have close contact outside of the school environment, where they will have to quarantine automatically," Fayette Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said.
Participating students who are exposed will undergo free testing on campus Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
The program arrives as the district grapples with its first student death linked to virus. 15-year-old Learning Center sophomore Christopher Gordon passed away last Thursday.
