Whether it's a protest against mask mandates or for them, Colorado schools are having a difficult time catering to either audience with the upcoming 2021-22 school year.

Last week, parents and students in Jefferson County stood outside the public health building to protest the requirement that students, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in schools to start the year. On Sunday, Aug. 8, the opposite issue took place in Cherry Creek.

Parents in the school district have started a petition to encourage the school district to change their mask requirements for students. The petition is currently at 1,996 signatures.

For the upcoming school year, Cherry Creek schools have decided to not require mask wearing, but instead leave the decision up to the students and their family. This decision goes against the suggested course of action from the Tri-County Health Department, who recommended masking up until vaccinations increase and cases decrease.

On Sunday, 9News quoted Cathryn Matheson, a Cherry Creek parent, who is one of the leaders behind the petition to the school to require masks for the start of the year. The concern for many parents who have signed the petition is that some children within the school district aren't eligible for the vaccine yet. Because of that, wearing a mask is the best method of protection against the virus.

While Cherry Creek has followed CDC guildelines for wearing masks on school buses, the school has yet to respond to the petition or shift their stance of mask requirements for the school year.

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