The Gunnison Watershed School board alongside administration are beginning to make efforts for a mask exit strategy. The school district’s exit strategy consists of six metrics, four of which need to be met within the county for the mask mandate to end in the Gunnison and Crested Butte Schools. The district is currently on track to meet three of the metrics after Christmas break, however, there is uncertainty around the three other metrics.

“I’m hopeful that come February, perhaps sometime then, we will be seriously considering this and have the data that shows us the time might be right,” said Leslie Nichols, the Gunnison Watershed School District Superintendent.

The strategy set in place requires that metrics be met for three consecutive weeks in order to be considered an accomplishment.

The metrics are as follows: 

1. At or below an average of 7 COVID cases per week among GWSD staff and students for three weeks starting January 2022 as reported by GWSD.
2. At or below an average of 17 COVID cases per week, among Gunnison County residents for three weeks starting January 2022 as reported by Gunnison County Public Health. 
3. At or below 10% community positive rate for three weeks starting January 2022 reported by Gunnison County Public Health. 
4. At or above 80% vaccination rate at all GWSD staff as reported by Gunnison County Public Health.
5. At or above 80% community vaccination rate among those eligible as reported by Gunnison County Public Health. 
6. Access to vaccines for 5 year olds and older for 8 weeks. Vaccines for 5-11 year olds became available by November 4,2021. 

When four out of the six metrics are met, our school community will be on track to disband the mask mandate. We are hoping to achieve this and eradicate COVID mask protocols and finally start getting back to normal life. The community asks us to do our best to achieve this as soon as possible and leave COVID in 2021. 

Students here at Gunnison High School are ecstatic about the possibility of leaving masks in the past. 

“I’m super excited that there’s a possibility we could end the 2021-2022 school year the way it started, mask free,” says Junior Elle Morrison. 

Visit https://covid19.gunnisoncounty.org/updates/ for  more upcoming COVID updates.