This story first appeared in a Colorado Community Media newspaper. Support CCM’s neighborhood news.
School districts across the Denver metro area are taking different approaches to mask-wearing as they prepare for the new academic year.
Here’s a look at the plans:
• In Denver Public Schools, masks will be required for all students, visitors and staff while in all schools and buildings, regardless of vaccination status, according to the district’s website.
• In Aurora Public Schools, masks will be strongly recommended for all students who are unvaccinated, according to the district’s website. All staff who are vaccinated will not be required to wear face masks at schools and district sites. All staff members who are unvaccinated will be required to wear masks in the workplace.
• In the Douglas County School District, masks will be “strongly encouraged” for students 11 and younger when learning indoors. The same is true for students 12 and older who are not fully vaccinated. Masks, however, will not be required.
• Jeffco Public Schools will require in-school masking for students ages 3 through 11. For students age 12 and above, masks indoors are strongly recommended for unvaccinated students and recommended for vaccinated students in alignment with guidance from Jefferson County Public Health, according to a news release.
• Littleton Public Schools is planning to start the 2021-22 school year without a mask requirement. Schools will practice physical distancing as much as is possible without disrupting the learning environment.
• In Englewood Schools, the district announced that the wearing of masks by all students, visitors and staff inside its schools will be required this fall, regardless of whether a person is vaccinated against COVID-19 or not.
• For the Adams County area: In Adams 12 Five Star Schools, masks are recommended for all students, regardless of vaccination status, but are not required. 27J Schools (Brighton area) will also not require students to wear masks indoors. But in Westminster Public Schools, all students, staff and teachers will be required to wear masks when indoors. Students in all three school districts are required to wear masks on buses.