WOOSTER − With Norwayne Local School District's decision at Monday's board meeting to close schools April 8, all area districts in Wayne and Holmes counties will be closed for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8 .
The following districts will be closed: Wooster City, Orrville, Triway, Smithville (Green), Rittman, Waynedale (Southeast), Dalton, Central Christian, Norwayne and Northwestern in Wayne County. In Holmes County, West Holmes is closed, while East Holmes teachers will have a work day, but there will be no students in class.
The total solar eclipse will be the first in Ohio since 1806. The next will be in the year 2444.
The Ohio Department of Education has labeled the event a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience.
Eclipse is a learning opportunity for students of all ages
"Being in the path of this eclipse provides a unique learning opportunity for students," the department's website reads.
Chris Hartenstine, public engagement team lead at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland adds that given the timing of the eclipse, coinciding with dismissal, it is understandable that many school districts have opted to close for the day.
"The event happening over Cleveland between 3:13 and 3:17 in the afternoon, for example, a lot of schools are right around dismissal," Hartenstine said. "The last thing you want to see is everybody stuck on school busses and unable to view it. We have noticed that many, many schools and districts have closed for the day.
"This is not a safety thing, in that regard," he continued. "It's just simply that happening at a time when many people will be on the road, rather than being able to identify as families or groups where they want to enjoy this experience and be able to plan out the day. It makes more sense for the schools to be closed."
The state reminded school districts that "traffic is expected to be extremely heavy Monday and extending into Tuesday, and communication capabilities such as cell service and internet bandwidth could be diminished or unavailable in places."
Teachers have been encouraged to incorporate the solar eclipse into lesson plans ahead of the event.
"Be sure parents are informed about the eclipse, so they have the chance to plan an educational family trip, if desired," the Ohio Department of Education website reads .
Moon's shadow will cover large portion of Ohio for nearly 4 minutes
The afternoon sky will go dark for nearly four minutes April 8 when the moon passes between the sun and Earth.
The eclipse's shadow will enter western Ohio about 3:10 p.m. near the city of Greenville in Darke County, according to a NASA map .
The path of the eclipse will travel northeast , reaching Cleveland by 3:15 p.m., then Erie, Pennsylvania, by about 3:18 p.m.
The totality viewing area will be a 124-mile wide strip angling from the southwest to northeast corners of the state.
Everyone who views the eclipse should wear solar glasses that have the code "ISO 12312-2:2015" stamped on them, which indicates they have passed International Organization for Standardization requirements on how protective solar glasses should be made, the American Astronomical Society has reported .
Failure to wear the proper eye protection when looking at the sun could cause lifelong visual impairments.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne, Holmes students will experience solar eclipse from home; all area schools closing
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