Two El Paso County school districts drop mask requirements in schools
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Effective Monday, Dec. 13, masks will no longer be required in Academy School District 20 and District 11.
Monday, Academy School District 20 announced masks would no longer be required for students or staff while on campus.
The district first implemented a mask requirement in September. The district said the mask requirement was never meant to be permanent.
Also Monday, District 11 announced facial coverings/masks would no longer be required.
D20 Superintendent Tom Gregory released the following statement:
Since implementing our mask requirement in September 2021, a couple important changes have occurred. All staff are now eligible to receive both the COVID-19 vaccine and booster and all school-aged children 5 - 18 are now eligible to receive the vaccine. Additionally, as of Dec. 5, 2021, COVID-19 data in El Paso County is showing signs of improvement.
Superintendent Tom Gregory
Numbers are indeed down. According to state data, the recent seven-day average in El Paso County is 339 COVID cases per day. This time last year, the rolling average was almost twice as high.
D11 Superintendent Dr. Michael J. Thomas also cited vaccines eligibility as a reason why the mask mandate is being rescinded.
However, there is a big difference between available vaccines and vaccines being administered.
According to that state data, less than 3% of children ages 5 to 11 have been vaccinated in El Paso County. A little more than 7% of children 12 to 17 have been vaccinated.
Masks will only be required for any students or staff while using district transportation for both districts.
Masks are still required at Air Academy High School and Douglass Valley Elementary, per the U.S. Air Force Academy mandate. Both of those schools are part of D20.
Read the full statement from D11 here.
