FUSD offering free COVID-19 testing for students before return to school

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Although classes won't resume until next week, the campus at Sunnyside High was a busy place Friday morning.

Administrators say cars began lining up before 7 am in an attempt to be among the first to pick up free COVD-19 rapid test kits.

"We've got 70,000 test kits between our seven school sites," says Chief of Staff Patrick Jensen. "We've already given out about 16,000 this morning in the first three and a half hours we've been doing this event, so it's a huge demand."

Sunnyside was among the many district locations where families could pick up the test kits Friday.

The kits are part of the governor's plan to provide at-home tests for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade prior to their return to school.

Fresno Unified will resume classes Tuesday, January 11.

"We're trying to get kids tested right before the start of school because we know if someone tests positive and if we can keep them out of the school environment before they step foot on campus, it just really increases the safety," Jensen said. "It lets the superintendent keep his commitment to keeping schools open for in-person instruction."

The tests are not mandatory but highly encouraged.

Parent Anthony Robinson was thankful for the district's drive-thru event and picked up two kits for his children.

In addition to the at-home rapid antigen test kits, Fresno Unified will continue to offer COVID-19 testing clinics throughout the semester.

"We're still doing masks, we're still doing hand washing, we have health screenings but this is just one more layer of protection so that we can have folks come back to school with confidence that we're going everything we can to minimize risk," Jensen said.

The tests were so popular that Sunnyside High ran out of kits at about lunchtime and had to get a restock.

Fresno Unified will be handing the kits out again at the same time and locations on Monday.

Families can pick them up at one of the following locations on Monday, January 10, from 7:15 am to 3 pm.