JCPS middle, high school dismissals will be delayed on day of eclipse

Courier Journal

The much-anticipated Aug. 21 solar eclipse – the first to cross the U.S. from coast to coast in nearly a century – is slated to happen on the fourth day of school in Louisville, at roughly the time of dismissal.

So, to allow students the opportunity to experience the cosmic phenomenon – and to prevent teens from looking at Louisville's partial eclipse without protective eyewear –Jefferson County Public Schools is delaying dismissal for all middle and high schools, the district announced Tuesday afternoon.

Secondary schools, including all special schools and alternative schools, will dismiss at 2:41 p.m. That's a delay of 21 minutes from the typical school day, according to a statement from Acting Superintendent Marty Pollio.

Elementary students will dismiss from school at the regular time, but "parents should know that their children may be delayed when arriving home that afternoon due to traffic," Pollio said. This is especially true for students who go through a bus depot on the way home, he said.

Regardless of grade level, all outdoor activities not related to the solar eclipse – like gym class and recess – taking place between 12:30 and 3 p.m. will move indoors, since locally, the eclipse will start at 12:59 p.m. and reach its maximum view at 2:27.

A partial eclipse will be visible anywhere in North America, but only those in the so-called "path of totality" will see the total eclipse, with the moon completely covering the sun, according to NASA.

Though Louisville will only be experiencing a partial eclipse, it's still not safe to remove protective eyewear while looking at the eclipse, said Paula McGuffey, assistant director at the Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium at the University of Louisville.

"It is never safe in Louisville to look up. Never," she previously told the Courier-Journal. "If you're in a place of totality like Hopkinsville, then, yes, when it reaches its peak, you can look at it for two minutes without any protective eyewear, but Louisville, absolutely not."

Some schools will use the eclipse as a learning opportunity. The J. Graham Brown School, for example, is sending 4th- through 8th-grade students to Hopkinsville. Some schools will provide students with special glasses for viewing the eclipse, Pollio said.

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Schools' plans for the solar eclipse should be communicated with families, he said, and students should not be asked to pay for glasses.

Parents hoping to experience the eclipse with their student can fill out a form to request an excused absence. The form must be returned to schools by Aug. 18, the second day of classes.

The form will be made available at each school, according to the statement.

Jefferson County Public Schools isn't alone in delaying dismissal.

Oldham County Schools will dismiss all elementary, middle and high schools 30 minutes late on eclipse day, according to spokeswoman Lori McDowell. Morning preschool will run as scheduled, but afternoon preschool will dismiss 30 minutes late. Parents will receive communication about schools' individual plans in the coming days.

Bullitt County Public Schools spokesman John Roberts said school will be open on Aug. 21 and he doesn't expect any change in the schedule for the day.

Across the river, dismissal times are not expected to change in the New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corporation, school officials said. Instead, individual schools and teachers will decide how to handle the eclipse.

“They’re going to kind of turn that into a science day where they’re going to just have a lot of fun, a lot of great activities, a lot of neat lessons to do with science and the solar eclipse," said Tony Duffy, director of elementary education for the New Albany-Floyd County schools. "... This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our students, so we’re certainly going to try to embrace that and make that a great learning opportunity for our kids.”

Greater Clark County Schools will for the most part operate under a normal schedule, with the exception of Jeffersonville High School, which will delay dismissal until 2:35 p.m., according to a statement released Tuesday.

In order to fully realize what the district calls an "amazing educational opportunity," Greater Clark has purchased eclipse viewing glasses for students. However, parents are required to complete a waiver to allow their children to participate in school and classroom activities related to the eclipse. The waivers must be returned to schools by Aug. 18.

In the Hopkinsville area, Christian County Public Schools will be closed the day of the eclipse and the day after because of safety concerns, such as traffic congestion, as thousands of people flock to spots where they can see the total eclipse.

Warren County Public Schools also will be closed since Bowling Green is expected to be a hot spot for eclipse viewing.

Reach Darla Carter at dcarter@courier-journal.com. Reach Kirsten Clark at kclark@courier-journal.com.