SIR WILFRID LAURIER SCHOOL BOARD
Saliva testing kits now available in SWLSB Laval schools

The Council of Commissioners of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board is pleased to announce that saliva-based testing kits are now available in two of its Laval elementary schools.

The Public Health Department of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Laval (CISSS) has extended this pilot project to English schools in Laval. The first two schools to take part in this endeavour are St-Paul Elementary School and Hillcrest Academy. More schools will be added in the weeks to come.

Although it is Council's hope that saliva-based tests will be made available to all schools and centres across the Laval, Laurentides and Lanaudière territory, Laval is currently the only region in Québec to offer these tests. "We welcome this opportunity with much enthusiasm.

Saliva-based tests are not only less intrusive for children, they also have the advantage that children can do the test at home rather than have to make an appointment and wait in a testing clinic," Chairperson Paolo Galati said.

The schools received positive feedback from parents who received the saliva-based tests because their children were in classes that had to be isolated because of COVID-19. "We hope that the saliva-based tests will increase testing and screening and will limit the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and centres," added Galati.

With a workforce of more than 2,000 employees, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board is the third largest English school board of the Province of Québec and has an 87.7% graduation rate. Its territory comprises the administrative regions of Laval, Lanaudière and the Laurentides. The school board provides preschool, elementary, secondary, adult education and vocational training services to over 14,000 students in 35 schools and 4 centres, as well as a business training division.