New Evidence for Safely Reopening K-12 Schools: Testing Can Reduce Infections and Increase Confidence

As the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, policymakers and school district leaders are seeking new evidence about how to reopen schools in a way that minimizes the risk of outbreaks. In response to this crucial call to help students get back to in-person learning and recoup potentially years of learning loss, Mathematica issued a new report that examines early learnings from six pilot COVID-19 antigen testing sites in K–12 schools. Mathematica’s report found that weekly testing of all students, teachers, and staff can reduce in-school infections by an estimated 50 percent and would give teachers peace of mind to return to the classroom. However, such testing programs require significant resources and coordination between local, state, and national education and public health authorities.