(NEWSnet) – April 8 is a Monday, which is normally a school day.

With that schedule, you might think that schools in communities that will experience solar eclipse totality or a deep partial eclipse are hosting in-person science lessons during the celestial event.

That’s not necessarily the case.

Parts of 15 U.S. states are included in totality for April 8, although two states — Tennessee and Michigan — just barely. The path in the U.S. starts in Texas, then moves into Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Many schools in the totality area have intentionally scheduled that day off. That includes over 60 school districts closings in northeast Ohio alone, according to a list posted by Fox 8 in Cleveland. There are over 20 school closings already reported in central Indiana, according to a list posted by WRTV in Indianapolis. Others will dismiss students early for a partial day or have invoked remote learning schedules.

In the Texas Hill Country, at least four K-12 districts decided to give everyone the day off, and other decisions were pending, according to KENS5 TV in San Antonio, Texas

“We wanted to avoid having our families on the roads with the increased traffic. It is just much safer for our families that way,” one of those districts, Boerne ISD, told the TV station. “It will also be a great at home learning experience for our students."

The University of Texas at San Antonio said it will not hold any classes between noon and 2 p.m. April 8, coinciding with the time when the eclipse is viewable from its location. Instead, students, staff and faculty are encouraged to attend an eclipse viewing party on campus.

Those opting for partial closings include a district that will experience a partial eclipse. A few weeks ago, Bedford Public Schools in Temperance, Michigan announced a school calendar change in that the eclipse day will be morning-only for its students. The school buildings are a few miles out of the totality zone.

“The timeline for our area coincides with our district’s regularly scheduled dismissal times, which could create logistical concerns and an inability to experience the phenomena safely,” Bedford superintendent Dr. Carl Shultz said in his notice.

Even if there is no school in session on April 8, students might still get lessons and tips on how to safely view the sight.

For example, Fremont City Schools in Ohio, which is in the totality path, announced it will distribute solar eclipse viewing glasses decorated with the high school mascot in advance to all students and staff.

There just won’t be any school in Fremont on April 8, or for that matter, any authorized viewing events at the school campuses and sports fields.

Instead, those who would like to view the sky in Fremont are invited to choose from locations such as the county fairgrounds that are listed on the Sandusky County Visitors Bureau site.

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