Good morning RRPS Community,

Please see below for the latest school reentry information in this Dec. 3 edition of the School Reentry E-Newsletter for the 2021-2022 school year:
Test to Stay Program for Modified Quarantine
As mentioned in the Nov. 2 New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) COVID-19 Response Toolkit for New Mexico Public Schools revision, schools must offer modified quarantine requirements starting in December. With the new program, students and staff members may will have the option to “test to stay," rather than having to quarantine at home for 10 days. This means that students and staff members identified as close contacts with positive cases, may now remain at school as long as they take a COVID-19 test on day 1, day 3, and day 5, and receive negative results. This only applies to those who have been exposed at school. Exposure in the household setting does not qualify for the “test to stay” program.

Rio Rancho Public Schools will begin this modified form of quarantine on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. 

Test to Stay Program for Students:
  • This is optional: Students may stay at school utilizing “test to stay” or may quarantine for 10-days at home.
  • Schools (nurses and attendance clerks) will work with families on which days their child will need to be tested and how to submit the results. 
  • For fast results, families are encouraged to use the RRPS COVID-19 drive-through testing site. This site requires registration prior to arrival. If you have a transportation challenge and are unable to take your child to be tested for the Test To Stay program, please inform your child's school nurse or school staff when you receive notification that your child has been identified as a close contact.
  • If a student misses a test for any reason, the student will be required to return to quarantine at home per NMPED guidelines. 
  • If a student becomes symptomatic, the student will need to self-isolate at home pending a negative test result.
Test to Stay Program for Staff:
  • The Human Resources Department will work with employees on which days they need to test and how results will be collected. 
  • This is mandatory: Unvaccinated, asymptomatic staff members who are identified as a close contact will be required to utilize the “test to stay” program and will no longer be sent home to quarantine. 
  • All tests must be completed utilizing the RRPS COVID-19 drive-through testing site.
  • Employees will be able to complete the “test to stay” COVID-19 tests during the duty day. 
  • If a staff member becomes symptomatic, the staff member will need to self-isolate at home pending a negative test result.
November Ends with Higher Case Counts
As we begin the month of December, it's important to remember that we still live in a COVID-19 world. Together, we can work to maintain COVID safety practices to reduce the spread of the virus, keep our students and staff healthy, and keep students in classrooms this school year.

For the month of November, Rio Rancho Public Schools ended with 298 positive COVID-19 cases, a significant increase from the previous month. While many factors can contribute to an increase in cases, our case counts are still well below the 3% threshold set by the Public Education Department as an indicator that additional safety measures may be required.

We ask that all students, staff, parents and guardians continue to practice social distancing, wear a face mask while indoors, wash hands frequently, avoid touching your face and regularly sanitize frequent touch points. Together we can work to eliminate risks from COVID-19.
500 Laser Rd NE
Rio Rancho, NM 87124