COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 TESTING CONSENT INFORMATION

In order for your child (in grades 1 and higher) to return to in-person learning, you must submit the consent form for in-school COVID-19 testing by the first day your child returns to their school building. Testing will happen weekly for a random selection of staff and students in your child’s school. Given the ongoing fight against a citywide resurgence of COVID-19, this mandatory weekly testing for COVID-19 is a crucial part of our plan to keep all schools safe. Any student in grade 1 or higher returning to school buildings must submit a consent form for COVID-19 testing in school by their first day back. 

• Kindergarten students are excluded from random testing.  
• The test is quick, safe, and easy. A video showing the testing process is available at nyc.gov/covidtesting.  

How do I submit consent?  

Submitting consent to have your child tested for COVID-19 in school is quick and easy. Even if you have already submitted consent, we ask you to do so again to ensure your student has the latest consent form on file. There are two easy ways to submit:  

1) Fill out the form online using a New York City Schools Account (NYCSA) at mystudent.nyc.

• If you already have a NYCSA account linked to your student(s): Log in, click your student’s name, click “Manage Account,” and then when a dropdown menu appears, click “Consent Forms.” Read the page, and then choose the consent option at the end for your student.  
• If you do not already have a NYCSA account: You can create one right away! If you have an account creation code from your school, you can create a full account in approximately five minutes, and then provide consent as described above. If you do not have an account creation code from your school, you can still provide your consent right away by clicking “Manage Consent” under “COVID-19 Testing” and filling out your and your child’s information to provide consent.  

2) Print and sign the form and bring it to your child’s school on the first day they are back in the school building. A printable PDF file is available in ten languages at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting.  

We will have copies of the consent form available at 8:10 am at the two entrances.

Can my child receive an exemption from weekly random testing?  

Exemptions will only be granted in certain limited cases:  

• For students who need a medical exemption, due to a health condition that would make it unsafe to undergo testing (e.g., facial trauma, nasal surgery), you will be able to submit a separate form for consideration. This form must be signed by a physician and you must submit medical documentation from a health care provider.  
• For students with disabilities who cannot be safely tested in school due to the nature of their disability, you will be able to submit a separate request for an exemption.  
• The exemption forms are available  at nyc.gov/covidtesting in multiple languages.  

What happens if I don’t submit consent?  

You must submit consent by the day that your child returns to your school building; that is the due date, and we need all students to participate.  

• If your child comes to school on their first day back for in-person instruction without a consent form on file, someone on our school staff will contact you to obtain consent.   
• After that, students without consent forms on file, who do not have a medical or disability-based exemption submitted, will be moved to fully remote instruction.