The Cherry Creek School District is expanding its COVID-19 mask mandate to include 7th and 8th graders starting on Monday.
Masks at Cherry Creek Schools were already required for all students under the age of 12, and the policy, based on cooperation with the Tri-County Health Department, required masks for all pre-kindergarten, elementary and middle school students and all staff in those buildings.
“This decision is also based on monitoring internal tracking data from the past 10 days,” said Superintendent Christopher Smith, in a statement to district families. “We have seen increasing COVID-19 cases among students and staff, particularly at the elementary and middle school levels.”
Data is posted on the district’s website. As of Friday, 86 students and 18 staff members have tested COVID positive district wide.
“While we have not seen significant spread in schools, the fact that COVID-19 cases are increasing in the community means we need to take stronger measures to protect schools where there are large numbers of students not yet eligible to receive the vaccine,” Smith said.
Masks are “strongly encouraged” for students and staff in high schools, and the district will continue to partner with the Tri-County Health Department moving forward.
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