Rutherford County Schools closing for solar eclipse April 8
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — Rutherford County Schools will be closed April 8 in order to allow for all students to take in the anticipated solar eclipse, Director of Schools Dr. Jimmy Sullivan announced Thursday.
In a video posted to the district’s social media channels, Sullivan said the district looked at several options for the day that offered the best benefit for all students before deciding to use one of its “stockpile days” and take the day off.
According to Sullivan, the eclipse is supposed to begin at about 12:44 p.m. in the Rutherford County area and will be at its peak at about 2:03 p.m. The eclipse will conclude at about 3:20 p.m., Sullivan said.
Total solar eclipse happening April 8, 2024
While viewers in Tennessee won’t be able to see the eclipse in its totality, as the state lies outside the projected path for prime viewing, Sullivan said Rutherford County residents and students would be able to see the eclipse at about 94% completion.
The key factor in the closure decision was the timing of the eclipse, according to Sullivan.
“That is right in the middle of all of our dismissals, and most importantly it’s right in the middle of our elementary dismissal,” he said in the video.
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Rutherford County transports between 25,000 and 30,000 students on its buses every day, and the district wants to make sure that students remain safe, he said. An early dismissal day was also debated, but Sullivan said parents frequently say early release days cause more “chaos” for them, making it an option they don’t like to use unless absolutely necessary.
After that day, Rutherford County will have two more stockpile days to use for inclement weather or other emergencies, Sullivan said.
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