A misleading distillation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines and recommendations for school reopenings is making the rounds and creating unnecessary alarm.

The first misstatement is that every recommendation has to be followed to the letter. The CDC makes clear these are guidelines, not regulations.

Read the CDC's considerations for schools yourself rather than assume that postcard-sized meme on Facebook tells the full story.

Still, schools will face challenges in reopening, which leads to this news today from the state Department of Education:

About the Author

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez