Students in Cobb County can thank their lucky stars — or rather, their lucky moon — for an extra early release day this school year.
In an effort to get students out of school by the time a partial solar eclipse is visible over Georgia, the district announced that school will end early on Monday, April 8, 2024. That’s the day students return from spring break.
The Atlanta area is not in the path of totality for the upcoming solar eclipse, meaning the sun won’t be completely blocked by the moon like in other parts of North America. But a partial eclipse will still be visible in the afternoon — and it can be dangerous. Part of the sun will still be visible, and looking directly at even a portion of it can damage your eyes. That’s why people have to look at eclipses through special glasses or indirect viewing methods.
Cobb cited concerns about student safety in a notice to parents this week.
“While experiencing a solar eclipse can be memorable and educational, looking directly at an eclipse can seriously damage a student’s eyes,” a district spokesperson said in an emailed statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We are providing Cobb families as much time, information, and flexibility as possible so they can make the best health decisions for their children.”
In Facebook groups for the Cobb community, parents debated whether the change was necessary. Some felt that it should be an educational opportunity the schools take advantage of, while others appreciated the chance to drive their kids somewhere the total eclipse will be visible. Others wondered whether safety concerns had merit.
It’s not a new debate. In 2017 — the last time a total solar eclipse was visible in North America — most metro Atlanta school districts delayed dismissal times for students. Cobb schools at the time said the move would ensure students and staff weren’t on the roadways during the time of the eclipse. Outside of metro Atlanta, other school districts opted to keep kids in school and use the 2017 eclipse as an educational opportunity.
“It’s very important to supervise young children to ensure no injuries occur,” said Steve Nelson, science and operations officer for the National Weather Service in Peachtree City. No one should ever look at the sun directly without ISO-certified eclipse glasses, he added. In 2017, some possibly counterfeit glasses were recalled just days before the eclipse — including the 24,000 purchased by the Coweta County School District.
This time around, most other metro Atlanta school districts have yet to announce their plans. The Fulton County School District is planning to hold a full day of school on April 8. DeKalb and Gwinnett school district officials haven’t made a decision yet. The Atlanta and Clayton school systems didn’t respond to questions at the time of publication.
In Atlanta, the partial eclipse will be visible between 1:48 and 4:19 p.m. At max, about 82% of the sun will be obscured around 3 p.m.
Some of the closest cities within the path of totality are about seven hours outside of Atlanta. The total eclipse will be visible in Dallas, Texas, around 1:40 p.m. CDT, crossing the U.S. to also be visible around 3:30 p.m. EDT in Caribou, Maine, according to NASA. North America won’t see another total solar eclipse until 2044.
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