Trump tells governors to 'seriously consider and maybe get going' on opening schools

President Donald Trump on Monday urged the nation's governors to "seriously consider" reopening schools as part of his push to restart the economy, though many states have already recommended against resuming the school year.

"Some of you might start thinking about school openings, because a lot of people are wanting to have school openings.

It's not a big subject, young children have done very well in this disaster that we've all gone through," Trump told the governors on a teleconference call, according to audio of the call obtained by CNN.

He continued, "So a lot of people are thinking about the school openings. And I think it's something, Mike (Pence), they can seriously consider and maybe get going on it."

But this late in the school year, it's unlikely that many students will return to the classrooms in the immediate future.

According to a CNN tally of school closures, 43 states as well as Washington, DC, have ordered or recommended that schools don't reopen this academic year.

Other states have only recommended that local officials continue supporting students through distance learning models.

Those states are California, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, South Dakota and Tennessee. The Montana governor has given school districts the option to begin in-classroom learning as early as May 7.

And when students do return, administrators will be tasked with keeping kids and their families safe, with options including everyone wearing masks, staggering start times and canceling assemblies and sports.


Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of the White House coronavirus task force, said earlier this month that the situation is "unpredictable" when he was asked about school reopenings.


"I fully expect — though I'm humble enough to know that I can't accurately predict — that by the time we get to the fall, that we will have this under control enough that it certainly will not be the way it is now where people are shutting schools." Fauci noted, however, that "it will be different" and being able to identify, test and trace those who have coronavirus.


Trump, Pence and other task force officials on Monday's call outlined the administration's testing blueprint and then spent much of the hour-long call fielding praise and thanks, reopening plan updates, and a few questions from the governors.

Trump repeatedly urged them to get in the queue to ask questions by dialing "hashtag two."