COLORADO SPRINGS — Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 has announced that, effective Saturday, Jan. 29, students, staff and visitors are no longer required to wear a face mask while indoors.

This announcement was made through email as an “Updated Return to Learn Guide – 1.28.2022”.

To read the announcement in its entirety, see below:

“Updated Return to Learn Guide 1.28.2022

“Good afternoon, Cheyenne Mountain Staff and Families.

“As you are aware, at the beginning of the second semester, the District reinstated our universal mask requirement for all students, staff, and visitors while indoors in any District 12 school or facility beginning Wednesday, January 5, 2022, through today, Friday, January 28, 2022.  This additional layered approach was reinstituted in an effort to support our goal of keeping our students and staff safely at school for in-person learning.

“Over the past month, the District has monitored trends from local public health as well as internal data, including substitute fill rates to support staffing throughout the District. In light of this, and in consultation with the D12 Physician and Medical Expert Advisory Group and our Board of Education, the District will no longer require students, staff, or visitors to wear a mask while indoors beginning Saturday, January 29, 2022, until further notice.

“As we move to a less restrictive environment, please remember anyone who is feeling ill should stay home and not come to school.  To support positive and respectful school climates, please remind your child to be considerate of other students, staff, and visitors who may continue to wear a mask for a variety of reasons such as feeling safer while indoors around others, returning to school after a required isolation (for an additional five days), protecting other household members who may be immune compromised, pending travel, etc.

“On behalf of our Board of Education and the D12 Physician and Medical Expert Advisory Group, I want to thank you for your ongoing vigilance and support to keep our students, staff, and visitors safe and in our schools.

“The District will continue to monitor information from local public health and adjust our protocols as needed to prioritize in person learning.  As delineated in our Guide to Return-to-Learning linked here, the District will follow local public health requirements for isolations and quarantines.

“Wishing each of you a safe and healthy second semester!
“My best,

“David J. Peak, Ph.D.Superintendent of Schools”