Sacramento, CA – The Sacramento City Unified School District oversees New Joseph Bonnheim, a dependent charter school that began in-person instruction on August 9, 2021, and is located in an area with high COVID transmission rates. The order to provide COVID tests for students came in a letter from Sacramento County Public Health (SCPH) today after 23 cases were discovered on the campus. According to SCPH, it appears more likely that transmission is occurring outside of the school campus. However, SCPH ordered the enhanced mandated testing in an effort to contain further spread and with the knowledge that the district had resources and staffing ready to provide such a response.

From the SCPH Letter to the District:  “Due to the robust testing that has been established at the school district, a cluster of 23 positives for COVID-19 were identified today. The school has a total of 270 students and 23 staff, so this equates to 7.8% positives for the school population. Given that this is a relatively small, tight-knit community, and that the region as a whole has high community case counts and transmission, it appears more likely that transmission is occurring outside of the school campus. Given the number of positives, we are requiring that all remaining school staff and students be tested tomorrow on Friday, September 3, 2021. ” 

As part of its health and safety plan, Sacramento City Unified is putting testing front and center with an aggressive plan to provide testing at all 75 school sites and the Serna Center each weekday. By providing this resource, the district hopes to identify cases and proven transmission of COVID-19 on district campuses. 

For a copy of the letter please see here.