While some school districts just about to start the academic year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines for reopening with an emphasis on in-person learning.
The guidelines describe potential social, emotional, and developmental risks of keeping students at home and provide high-level outlines on how to resume in-person instruction: by practicing good hygiene, disinfecting surfaces regularly, and spacing out students to maintain social distancing.
Other recommendations include repurposing unused or underused buildings or moving classes outside when possible, as well as keeping students in "pods" where the same groups stay together throughout the school day.
Schools are also encouraged to have response plans in case someone gets sick, with the guidelines saying it would not be necessary for an entire school to shut down if one person tests positive.
Some of Ohio's biggest school districts have already said they will not be bringing students back to the classroom but will operate remotely. President Trump said that funds for schools across the country that do not reopen should be diverted to parents instead.
The White House has emphasized that the guidance is only a recommendation and will not replace state and local decision-making. Interim guidelines on reopening schools have been available on the agency's website since mid-May.
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