By Doris Maricle

OBERLIN — The Allen Parish school district is offering voluntary COVID testing and vaccination to help keep students safe and schools open.

Superintendent Kent Reed said Monday COVID tests and vaccines will be provided to students at the Oakdale School-Based Health Center, located on the campus of Oakdale Middle School.

“Due to the rising COVID cases throughout the state, I am pleased to tell you that COVID testing is now available for students should parents need their child to be tested,” Reed said in making the announcement.

Pfizer COVID vaccines will also soon be available for students ages 12 and up.

Parents must give consent before any testing or vaccine is given. No child will receive any service at the school-based health center without the proper consent form on file.

A COVID vaccination form will also need to be completed separately by parents in addition to the standard consent and enrollment form.

Forms are available by contacting the center, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. weekdays, at 318-215-1413.

Any student attending Allen Parish public schools can utilize the center as long as parents bring them to the clinic. Transportation is not provided.

As of Monday, Reed said less than a dozen students and teachers had tested positive for COVID since schools reopened to in-person learning Thursday.

“We have seen a few cases and will probably continue to see more cases, but things are better this year with students having their masks on,” Reed said. “We feel that we need to do anything we can do to help us get control of the virus and keep schools open. That is our goal.”

This is the third year schools are being challenged by COVID, he said.

“We are going to continue to work through those challenges each and every day,” he continued. “The virus is out there and we are going to try our best to keep our schools as clean as possible, sanitized and safe for everyone involved.”

School officials are monitoring the COVID cases and working with regional health director for recommendations on how to move forward, he said.

“It’s going to be a day-to-day job to keep up with this virus, but we are going to work through this,” Reed said. “Ultimately we are going to get pass all this and things will get better. But right now it is a challenge and we are going to continue to work through that challenge.”

The school district has plans in place, including available Chromebooks, for students who have to stay home.

“We will continue to put those plans in place and learn from the things we did last year,” he said. “We’re a lot smoother and have a better idea of what to expect this year dealing with COVID-19.”

Increases in COVID cases and masks mandates for students have caused some parents to chose virtual learning or enroll their children in private or home study programs. He urges those students to return to face-to-face learning after the masks mandates are lowered and the number of cases decline.