The ESD 112 team jumped into action to help support school districts in Southwest Washington and across the state to access COVID testing supplies.

In mid-January, local school districts shared that they were running low on COVID tests, which would impact their ability to test symptomatic students and student athletes who are required to participate in regular testing in order to take part in extracurricular activities.

ESD 112, with experience in PPE delivery across the state throughout the pandemic, jumped into action and sent one of our school bus drivers to travel to the State of Washington’s warehouse to pick up tests and testing supplies. The state did not have the staffing to deliver the tests without ESD 112’s prompt assistance.

In total, bus driver Kevin Keeley picked up 125,000 tests for schools in the ESD 112, 113, 114 and 105 regions. He delivered the tests to ESDs in Western Washington (113 and 114) and brought tests for Eastern Washington (ESD 105) to Vancouver for easier pick-up by ESD 105.

Our Southwest Washington school districts received approximately 30,000 tests for use in school testing programs thanks to the work of ESD 112 staff including Kevin Keeley, Gavin Hottman, Corina McEntire and Jeff Strunk.

“When our districts have a need, ESD 112 steps up to deliver on that need, literally in this case,” said Tim Merlino, superintendent of ESD 112. “We find a way to get to yes and help out schools in our region and across the state.”

“ESD 112’s effort was truly awesome,” said Sean McGeeney, superintendent of White Salmon School District. “We were very close to running out of tests, which would impact our extracurricular activities, and if not for ESD 112, we would have been in a tough spot.”

“I’m very grateful for bus driver Kevin Keeley’s work and the work of our entire team to make this operation happen,” Merlino said. “I am proud to lead such a nimble and responsive agency.”

ESD 112’s handling of the logistics for the pick-up and delivery of the tests has resulted in the state Department of Health indicating that they will likely ask ESD 112 for help with another round of test deliveries in the future.