More Centre County school districts announce early dismissal for the solar eclipse

The Philipsburg-Osceola Area and Bald Eagle Area school districts have announced they will dismiss students early on April 8 for the total solar eclipse.

P-O sent out a letter to families on Friday notifying them of a 1 p.m. dismissal time that was planned to not coincide with the astrological event. Bald Eagle Area’s district posted a Facebook message Saturday that said it would dismiss the elementary buildings at 11:35 a.m., and the middle/high school 10 minutes after that. The solar eclipse is expected to take place from 2:04 to 4:32 p.m., overlapping with the school day’s typical dismissal time.

The change at Philipsburg-Osceola was made to support both student and staff safety, Superintendent Daniel Potutschnig wrote in the letter. Solar eclipses can cause severe eye damage if viewed without special solar protection glasses.

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

Bald Eagle Area wrote on over social media, “Let’s ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all during this celestial event!”

The two districts are the the second and third Centre County school districts, respectively, to opt for an early dismissal on April 8, along with State College Area. Saint John Catholic School in Bellefonte will also dismiss students early that day.

Penns Valley Area School District is planning on doing supervised viewings with students after receiving solar protection glasses through a partnership with Penn State professor Christopher Palma.

What is a total solar eclipse?

Generally, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, projecting a shadow back on the Earth’s surface. These shadows can briefly block out the sun’s rays for a brief time.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and, if the path is positioned precisely, completely blocks out the face of the sun for those back on Earth who are located in the center of the moon’s shadow. Partial solar eclipses are much more common and occur when the sun, moon and Earth are not completely aligned.

According to NASA, a total solar eclipse can darken the sky “as if it were dawn or dusk.”

Centre County lies outside the path of totality for the eclipse, but NASA projects obscuration of at least roughly 95%. To browse maps and projections of the eclipse’s path through NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio, visit svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5123.

Reporter Matt DiSanto contributed to this report.

This story was originally published March 22, 2024 at 4:05 PM.