Some area schools are dismissing early, or keeping kids longer, for the upcoming solar eclipse
The eclipse's path through the Philadelphia region will coincide with school dismissals, presenting eye safety concerns, school leaders said.
At 3:23 p.m. on April 8, a solar eclipse is expected to reach its peak in the skies above the Abington School District — three minutes after elementary schools normally dismiss.
Rather than send students home in darkness, the district will extend the elementary school day by 25 minutes — and bring kids outside, equipped with protective eclipse glasses, to witness an event that won’t happen again for another 20 years.
“We plan to take advantage of this celestial event and use it as a unique educational opportunity for our students,” Abington Superintendent Jeffrey Fecher told families in a message earlier this week.
Schools across the region are preparing for the eclipse, which will cross North America on April 8 starting from Mexico’s Pacific Coast, traveling northeast across the continent and leaving through Newfoundland, according to NASA.
A swath along that route — including part of Pennsylvania — will experience a total eclipse, when the moon fully blocks the sun. But only the northwest corner of the state will be in the “path of totalit”; other parts of the state will experience a partial eclipse.
Still, the Pennsylvania Department of Education is advising schools to take safety precautions, noting that “even a short glimpse of the sun can permanently damage the rods and cones in the human retina.”
Noting that the eclipse’s path may coincide with school dismissal, the department says it will count early dismissals on the day of the eclipse “for safety purposes” to be early dismissals for inclement weather — counting as full days of instruction.
In South Jersey, a number of school districts are planning to dismiss early — including Cherry Hill, which told families Thursday it would be dismissing all grades by early afternoon and canceling after-school activities.
“We have had extensive discussion regarding the risk of serious eye damage from looking at the sun during an eclipse without proper eye protection,” Cherry Hill Superintendent Kwame Morton said in a message to families. He said that while the eclipse was “being used as an educational opportunity in our schools,” the timing had raised concerns.
Similarly, the Pennsauken School District announced early dismissals, with Superintendent Ronnie Tarchichi telling families the eclipse’s predicted path posed a “significant concern with transportation and dismissal.”
In Burlington Township, Superintendent Mary Ann Bell sent home links about solar eclipses to families last weekend along with an announcement that schools would close early on April 8.
“We live in a wondrous time where we can not only understand this phenomenon but also predict when they will occur,” Bell said in a message last weekend, encouraging families to enjoy the eclipse together. “We also live busy lives and have the opportunity to take this experience and slow down and celebrate the vastness of our universe for just a little while.”
Some Pennsylvania districts said they are still planning regular schedules. In the Pennridge School District, Superintendent Angelo Berrios sent families information Wednesday about the eclipse, advising that it would still be visible upon dismissal, “providing an excellent opportunity for observation.”
However, “we want to remind everyone to never look directly at the sun without proper eye protection,” Berrios said.
At least one of the district schools will be formally observing the eclipse: the principal of Pennridge South Middle School “was able to purchase a significant amount of viewing glasses” and will be hosting a watch event, according to spokesperson David Thomas.
The Downingtown Area School District also won’t be adjusting its schedules, “but we will be providing our elementary students with learning opportunities and eclipse viewing glasses,” said spokesperson Jennifer Shealy. She said the district would be communicating further with families about the event.
The Abington district — which is dismissing secondary students at the normal time on April 8 — will also be distributing eclipse glasses.
Abington will postpone after-school activities, and any student with parent approval to be absent or to leave school early “due to safety concerns or the desire to watch the eclipse elsewhere” will be excused, the district said.