Students at two Denver schools walked out of class on Thursday morning to express their concerns over the district’s COVID-19 regulations. 

Students at Denver North and Thomas Jefferson high schools staged the walkout just before 10 a.m., one week after a student’s petition called for the district to change its COVID-19 rules.

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“We expect better covid safety regulations due to the incredible surge in COVID-19 cases from the immune evading variant,” wrote Haven Coleman, the student who began the petition on Change.org. “Us students don’t feel safe going to school in these deadly conditions, not until the COVID cases are brought down to a safer number. We see it as necessary to speak up about how the Denver Public School District enacts its COVID regulations.”

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As of Thursday evening, nearly 750 people signed the petition, which demanded that the district provide:

• KN95/N95 masks to all students on campus;
• Ventilation in all classrooms and airflow to lessen the risk of COVID-19 cases;
• PCR and rapid testing for students twice a week;
• Integrated learning for those at home with COVID-19 or choosing to stay home for their protection;
• Access to more outdoor spaces for safe lunches;
• More social distancing measures in the hallways and stairs at school.

In a statement, school board members said: “DPS has increased efforts to provide safeguards inside our schools, including increasing the availability of N95 masks to staff and students.

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“Additionally, health experts continue to back district efforts to keep schools open, as we know how important it is for students to receive socioemotional support and a learning environment provided by school personnel. We understand the challenges of dealing with the uncertainty and ongoing disruptions caused by COVID and remain committed to working together to keep schools open to serve our students and greater community.” 

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