President Donald Trump has told governors that they should "seriously consider" reopening schools in their states.
ABC News reports that in a call with governors Monday, the president said states should "maybe get going on" plans to reopen schools, most of which have been closed for several weeks because of the coronavirus.
"Some of you might start thinking about school openings," Trump told governors on the call . "Because a lot of people are wanting to have the school openings.
Most of the nation's schools are closed through at least the end of the 2019-20 academic year.
Earlier this month, the White House issued recommendations for states to roll back social distancing restrictions over three stages, providing they met certain testing, health care and other criteria.
The first phase called for some businesses to reopen; states would not reopen schools until the second phase.
The president’s comments on school openings run counter to the advice of medical experts, The New York Times reports, and came unbidden during a conversation about testing and respirator use.
On Monday night, Trump reiterated his desire to see schools open, saying, “I think you’ll see a lot of schools open up, even for a short period of time.”
At least one state was already moving forward with the possibility of reopening schools. Montana, which has among the fewest cases and deaths stemming from the coronavirus, will give schools the option to reopen starting May 7.
Earlier Monday, Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey said that there was “a chance” schools in New Jersey would reopen in some fashion before the end of June.
