Another Centre County School District Plans Early Dismissal for Solar Eclipse

Three Centre County school districts are now planning to dismiss students early on April 8 because of the total solar eclipse that will occur that afternoon.

Bald Eagle Area School District is the latest to announce the decision. BEA elementary school buildings will dismiss at 11:35 a.m. and the middle school and high school will dismiss at 11:45 a.m.

“Let’s ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all during this celestial event!” the district wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.

BEA joins State College Area and Philipsburg-Osceola Area in dismissing students students early on April 8. Both State College and Philipsburg-Osceola cited safety concerns in their announcements, noting that the eclipse will occur during regular school dismissal times. (Outside of Centre County, WTAJ reported that at least six school districts in four other central Pennsylvania counties are planning early dismissals on April 8.)

The eclipse will occur between 2:04 p.m. to 4:32 p.m, with the maximum eclipse in central Pennsylvania at about 3:20 p.m. Centre County is expected to be in the 95 percent coverage area, just outside the path of totality.

State College will dismiss students two hours early, two hours early because the district “would not be able to ensure that our students refrained from observing the eclipse without protection,” which can cause permanent eye damage, superintendent Curtis Johnson wrote. After-school activities will be canceled until 5:30 p.m. and the CEEL program also will be canceled that afternoon.

Philipsburg-Osceola will dismiss students at 1 p.m., citing traffic safety concerns.

“Some sources recommend not driving during an eclipse for various safety reasons, including the prospect of distracted drivers looking at the eclipse and not seeing other vehicles or pedestrians (such as students at bus stops),” Philipsburg-Osceola superintendent Daniel Potutschnig wrote in a letter to families.

He added that appropriate eye protection needed to safely view the eclipse may restrict a driver’s field of vision.

“These safety issues are not only concerns for our bus drivers and school staff, but also for our students who drive to and from school,” Potutschnig wrote.

The last total solar eclipse in North America, in 2017, was linked to a brief surge in vehicle crashes, according to a research letter published Monday in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal.

To look directly at a solar eclipse special safety glasses or eclipse viewers are needed.

Penn State’s Eberly College of Science and the State College Spikes will distribute free safety glasses at the SolarFest eclipse event scheduled for noon to 4:40 p.m. on April 8 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Admission to the event is free.

Schlow Centre Region Library and Discovery Space are also distributing safety glasses.