As snow days are phased out due to distance learning, some students can skip school just because of a rare total solar eclipse.
Many school districts in upstate New York are canceling classes on Monday or forcing students to leave school early because of expected traffic congestion in and around the total belt, which stretches from Buffalo and Rochester to the Adirondack Mountains.
But despite concerns from some parents, New York City schools remain open.
Some districts are taking advantage of unused snow days, while others are extending spring break.
Another factor that is less talked about, according to a former state educator, is that schools want to avoid liability for students suffering vision problems from staring at astronomical phenomena without safety glasses on school grounds. That’s what it means.
The Buffalo City School District, the third largest in the state, has canceled classes for Monday, leaving students and teachers with the opportunity to enjoy the eclipse on their own time.
The City of Lights lost power completely at 3:18 p.m., when students would normally be boarding buses to go home.
Most suburban districts in the surrounding area will also close or send students home early. According to WGRZ.
Rochester, the state’s fourth-largest city, will also give students and staff time off, extending its weeklong spring break by one day.
Syracuse education officials followed suit, pointing out the dangers of students staring into the sun when the school board passed a resolution in February to give students the day off. Reported by WSTM.
“Given the timing of the event and the potential safety risks it may pose to students, faculty and staff, we are proposing an update to the calendar,” the district said in a statement, according to the newspaper.
“The biggest safety risk is to avoid staring at the sun when an eclipse is occurring,” district spokeswoman Amanda Hull told WSTM.
“It can really cause permanent damage to your eyes and we don’t want that to happen to our students or staff.”
Albany schools provide children with half day Monday — even though the state capital is about a two-hour drive from the totality zone.
Even in the rural Adirondacks, most schools adjusted their schedules so that classroom instruction and after-school activities did not overlap with empty shows.
Johnsburg Central School is sending students home at 12:30 p.m. “due to the late afternoon solar eclipse” and providing free safety glasses to students leaving school.
In Tupper Lake and Lake Placid, the event falls in the middle of a two-week spring break for students and teachers.
State police in the area were advising residents to stock up on fuel and charge their electric vehicles in preparation for up to 12 hours of traffic jams as tourists flock to the area. The areas are connected by patchy single-lane country roads.
“I have to be honest with you. It’s scary as hell,” Tupper Lake Superintendent Rick Datora said of the influx. According to Adirondack Explorer.
The total solar eclipse will pass through 29 of New York’s 62 counties, but the phenomenon will be partially visible across the state.
New York City will be 91% crowded on Monday afternoon, but classes were not scheduled to be suspended.
One teacher in the nation’s largest school district told the Post last week that administrators had never told him about viewing the event or making any special plans.
of state department of education “He encouraged me.” [districts] “School calendars will need to be reviewed sooner or later to avoid potential conflicts,” he said, while noting that the eclipse “presents a unique educational opportunity for students.”
“The epicenter of the world’s attention will be the great state of New York,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a recent press conference.
“This is a chance for New York to step into the sun and into the spotlight.”
