DENVER – Students in seventh and eighth grade at Cherry Creek Schools will be required to wear masks starting Monday after the district updated its mask requirement policy Friday amid increasing cases at elementary and middle schools.
Superintendent Christopher Smith said the district has not seen significant spread at schools so far but said community spread was among the reasons behind the decision to extend the mask requirement to the rest of middle schoolers. They had previously been required for students and staff in Pre-K through 6th grade.
“Through working with our middle school principals, we have learned that the interaction of students at all levels in middle school, while minimal, is enough that masking all students and staff is the best strategy,” Smith wrote in a letter to families. “With masks now required for all students in grades PreK through eighth grade, we will have greater success at keeping schools open for In-Person learning through the fall.”
The district’s dashboard showed 86 students with positive COVID-19 cases and 18 staff members as of Friday afternoon.
Smith also reiterated that masks are strongly encouraged for high school students and staff and that people who are eligible should get vaccinated.
Smith said the district continues to work with Tri-County Health and Arapahoe County in monitoring COVID cases and in making health-related decisions.
“We work closely with our partners at Tri-County Health Department to decide how best to keep our students and staff safe as we navigate the changing conditions of the pandemic. We appreciate your patience and flexibility in these matters.”