Closed or remote? Erie County schools have safety plan for April 8 total solar eclipse

This story has been updated to reflect schedule changes.

Erie area students will be able to watch the total solar eclipse from home on April 8.

Twelve of Erie County's 13 public school districts will have no classes that day.

Parochial and private schools will be closed, will shift to remote learning or will dismiss students early.

The day out of school is meant to keep students safe, said Jennifer Dunmire, supervisor of K-12 math and science for the Millcreek Township School District. Students would just be leaving school or on their way home when the eclipse peaks at 3:18 p.m.

"The forecast of the number of visitors and the timing of the eclipse are what sparked the conversation," Dunmire said.

As many as 30,000 people are expected to view the eclipse at Presque Isle State Park in Millcreek Township. Tens of thousands more are expected at the Erie bayfront and elsewhere.

And with schools not in session, students will be able to watch the eclipse where they choose — through safety glasses provided by Penn State Behrend for 50,000 public and private school students in Erie, Crawford and Warren counties.

"This is such a unique experience for our students, and we're so excited for them, because it truly may be a once-in-a-lifetime event," Dunmire said. "You don't often find yourself so close to the center of totality when it comes to an eclipse."

Public schools

Most local school districts will have a teacher in-service day on eclipse day, with no classes for students. Others have extended spring break by a day or simply scheduled a day off.

Districts with no classes on April 8 are: Corry, Erie, Fairview, Fort LeBoeuf, Girard, Harbor Creek, Iroquois, Millcreek, North East, Northwestern, Union City and Wattsburg. The Erie County Technical School also will be closed.

Fort LeBoeuf originally scheduled a half-day of classes but now will be closed on eclipse day.

General McLane classes will be remote only.

In Wattsburg Area School District, where April 8 is scheduled as a day off from classes, it's also the last snow makeup day, meaning classes would be held in-person or remotely if severe weather closes schools for five days.

"We are hoping the mild winter continues so our students have the day off to fully enjoy the eclipse," Wattsburg schools Superintendent Ken Berlin said.

Private schools

Erie Day School, Erie First Christian Academy and St. Gregory School will be closed on eclipse day.

Other parochial and private schools, including Catholic Diocese of Erie schools, will shift to remote classes.

"While we had originally planned to be in school that day, after consulting with emergency management services, we have decided to not be in-person for learning," said Cathedral Preparatory School spokeswoman Sonya Whitman. "We understand that there will potentially be hundreds of thousands of people in Erie for the eclipse and that it would be better to not bring hundreds of additional people downtown to our campuses."

Offering classes remotely will be: Blessed Sacrament School, Cathedral Prep, Luther Memorial Academy, Montessori Regional Charter School, Mother Teresa Academy, and Our Lady of Peace, St. George, St. James, St. Jude and St. Luke schools.

Mercyhurst Preparatory School had planned to dismiss students at noon but now will shift to remote learning.

Only one school, Bethel Christian School, reported that it will be open on April 8.

Contact Valerie Myers at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Solar eclipse: Most Erie County, PA schools have the day off April 8