DeKalb District 428 SHIELD testing start date pushed back to after Thanksgiving

DeKALB – DeKalb School District 428 has a new projected start date for SHIELD testing: the end of November.

The tests were originally scheduled to begin being offered in DeKalb schools on Oct. 14, but the launch date was pushed back to the week after Thanksgiving, due to the third party change.

“We found out a couple weeks ago that SHIELD had changed our initial third-party vendor that we were speaking to,” Kyle Gerdes, Director of student services, said.

SHIELD testing, developed by the University of Illinois, is a saliva-based PCR test that is free and easy to administer. Medically-trained personnel are not needed to obtain samples. School districts across Illinois are opting in to offer tests to those who wish to participate, and the tests will be distributed through the state health department. SHIELD tests were meant to also act as a screening test in accordance with the statewide testing and vaccination mandate. Thus far, DeKalb County schools haven’t been able to offer SHIELD testing due to high demand and low supply.

[ COVID-19 testing access a challenge amid Illinois vaccine mandates, say local school, health officials ]

Rapid nasal swab COVID-19 tests called BinaxNOW are available in school buildings, but are meant to be administered to those experiencing symptoms.

The DeKalb school board on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve the new third party vendor for the SHIELD testing, Zebra health.

The testing will be available to everyone within the buildings, from students to staff, whether they have been vaccinated or not.

Gerdes said the plan is for SHIELD testing to take place once a week in each building throughout the district, but the frequency could change depending on how many students and staff sign up to take part.

For more information about SHIELD testing, visit www.shieldillinois.com.

The next DeKalb Board of Education meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16 to discuss further steps.