CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. – The first day of school will not be business as usual for students in Jefferson County thanks to the highly anticipated total solar eclipse.
The eclipse, which is set to obscure about 82 percent of the sun in the Eastern Panhandle, coincides with the dismissal time for the county’s middle school students.
School officials concerned about the safety risk of having students standing outside during the eclipse have decided to delay dismissal for the entire school system by 20 minutes.
“The apex of the eclipse coincided exactly with our middle school dismissal times,” Jefferson County School Superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson said.
Gibson said school system leaders are getting mixed responses from parents. Gibson is urging anyone with concerns to contact her office.
“We’ve done everything that we can to both have them enjoy the educational experience,” Gibson said, “and to the maximum extent possible, ensure their safety.”
She said there was a lot of discussion before the decision was made.
Gibson said the eclipse will be taught in classrooms across the county today, and that some classes will be viewing the phenomenon.
That is left to the discretion of individual teachers.
School officials in Berkeley County purchased 20,000 pairs of solar glasses for their students, although they do not plan on holding any countywide viewing events.
Like Jefferson, students will learn about the science behind the event and view it if deemed appropriate by individual instructors.