New York City public schools will no longer randomly test students for COVID-19, the Department of Education said Tuesday. 

Guidance the DOE distributed to schools Tuesday morning said in-school PCR surveillance testing would “not be a part of the 2022-23 school year.” 

“Starting the first day of school, schools will offer home test kits to those with a potential in-school exposure and those with symptoms,” the department said.

What You Need To Know

  • The city's Department of Education is ending its in-school PCR surveillance testing program, according to guidance it released on Tuesday

  • As part of the program, schools randomly tested 20% of their unvaccinated students on a weekly basis — but only if their parents signed consent forms opting them into the process

  • The DOE will still require schools to report positive COVID-19 cases to its Situation Room, but those case counts will come from self-reported data, as schools will not be carrying out testing

“In addition, each staff [member] and student will receive four tests per month to take home,” it added. “These tests can be used by school families for testing due to symptoms, exposures, high-risk activity (such as travel and large gatherings) and can give staff and students immediate results.” 

While the DOE lifted its indoor mask mandate for most public school students in early March, it kept its surveillance testing program in place through the end of the 2021-2022 school year. 

As part of the program, schools randomly tested 20% of their unvaccinated students on a weekly basis — but only if their parents signed consent forms opting them into the process.

A NY1 analysis conducted earlier this year found that many city schools were only testing a small percentage of their students for COVID-19 due to the program’s criteria. 

This year, the DOE will still require schools to report positive COVID-19 cases to its Situation Room, which sends out a daily email with updates on cases and post them to its Daily COVID Case Map, according to Tuesday's guidance.

Those case counts, however, will come from self-reported data, as schools themselves will not be carrying out testing.

The department will also require students and staff members who test positive for COVID-19 to isolate for five days, then wear a mask for 10 days after the onset of their symptoms or date of positive test, its guidance says. 

School visitors, DOE employees, anyone who works in a DOE building and students who are participating in “high-risk extracurricular activities including high-risk PSAL sports," meanwhile, will still need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, it adds.