Still, 25 of the state’s largest school districts remain closed, and officials have griped that Newsom has not provided guidance on how often teachers and school staff should be tested for the virus, nor any mandates on how often students should get tested, even as health officials point out that increased testing and contact tracing helps to tamp down outbreaks as they crop up.

In July the state suggested school employees should be tested once every two months, but said nothing about testing for students, and the information has not been enough.

Other statewide conditions for reopening, based on local case rates and other quantitative data, are also less robust.

Especially when compared to the rigorous guidelines that determine if bars, restaurants, and other non-essential businesses can reopen, advocates for school reopenings have a hard time understanding why the blueprint isn’t as fixed.