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Thales welcomed students back July 20. It offered parents two options: fully online or fully in-person, according to ABC Durham affiliate WTVD.

Students had their temperatures taken and completed a medical questionnaire after they were dropped off, according to WTVD. Staff and faculty also reminded students to wear masks.

Because the school network is private, it doesn't have to adhere to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's school reopening guidelines.

\"PHOTO:
Gerry Broome/AP
PHOTO: Vice President Mike Pence and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visit with teacher Allison Combs, left, and her fourth grade students at Thales Academy which reopened to students in Apex, N.C., July 29, 2020.
>

Cooper announced in July that schools could reopen with both in-person and remote learning.

He said that schools that choose to reopen should operate in person at no more than 50% capacity and buses at no more than 33%.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has swayed on national guidance for reopening schools. Originally, the federal agency warned of the risks that come with reopening schools and issued recommendations. But on Thursday, two weeks after President Donald Trump demanded schools reopen, the CDC shifted its tone and released statements about children not being at a high risk of getting seriously ill, though its original guidance still remained on its website.

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