2 South Jersey school districts are closing schools early on day of eclipse
At least two South Jersey school districts will have a half-day on April 8 when a total solar eclipse will be visible across North America.
Pennsauken Public Schools and Chery Hill Public Schools announced on their websites that the districts will close early that day for "safety precautions" regarding the eclipse, which is scheduled to be visible in South Jersey about the time schools will be dismissing.
Parts of the United States, Canada and Mexico are in the path of totality — the zone where the sun will be 100 percent darkened by the moon. While New Jersey is not in that path, the South Jersey area will still be treated to a partial solar eclipse, weather permitting.
The Great American Eclipse of 2024 will begin about 2:09 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, and end at 4:35 p.m. The maximum eclipse time is 3:23 p.m.
Why is this South Jersey school district closing early on April 8?
“On Monday, April 8, 2024 a Solar Eclipse will pass over our region during the mid-day,” said the letter on the Pennsauken Public Schools website from Ronnie Tarchichi, superintendent of Pennsauken Public Schools. “For the Southern New Jersey area, it shows an eclipse window between 2:08 p.m. and 4:35 p.m. with a significant eclipse graphic from 2:49 p.m. to 3:57 p.m.. This would place the eclipse right in the middle of dismissals and during transportation activities. This is a significant concern with transportation and dismissal for Pennsauken Schools being directly in line with the eclipse window.
Fly to view total eclipse Where can you get reasonable flights from South Jersey area to view total eclipse?
“The Solar Eclipse is a safety concern for our students because directly viewing the sun during an eclipse without proper certified eye protection can cause serious eye damage. Due to these safety precautions, adjustments are being made to our school calendar on Monday April 8, 2024. Monday, April 8th will now be a half day for all students and all extracurricular sports and activities will be canceled.”
Kwame Morton, Cherry Hill Public Schools acting superintendent, echoed the same sentiments.
“While the eclipse is an exciting event and is being used as an educational opportunity in our schools, concerns have been raised regarding the timing of the event,” Morton wrote. “We have had extensive discussion regarding the risk of serious eye damage from looking at the sun during an eclipse without proper eye protection.”
A North Jersey school district, Livingston Public Schools, Essex County, announced weeks ago that it would have early dismissal that day as well.
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Which school districts will close early on the day of solar eclipse?
