JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — Schools will be out early on eclipse day, with Jefferson Parish schools announcing early dismissal times between 10:15 and 11:20 a.m. ahead of Monday's solar eclipse.
Jefferson Parish Schools Superintendent James Gray made the announcement on Thursday citing safety concerns for students.
"Given that close to 80% of our schools' dismissal times fall during the middle of the eclipse time frame and as dismissal requires our students to be outside," Superintendent. Gray said Thursday. "Jefferson Parish schools will be dismissing students on a modified half-day schedule."
Superintendent Gray also said that parents have the choice to let students stay out home on Monday, also. With parish officials offering an excused absence to any parents that choose to do so.
"Parents may choose not to send their child or children to school that Monday because of safety concerns or because they want their child to experience the eclipse with the family at home," JP schools said Thursday. "If so this will be an excused absence."
Other Southeast Louisiana parishes have plans to keep students inside the classroom without sending students home early.
Meredith Mendez of St. Tammany Parish schools said last Thursday that the parish planned on treating the solar eclipse like a rainy day, with all recess and P.E. classes moving inside.
Mendez, like Superintendent Gray, expressed safety concerns for students.
“You could have a third-grader who burns their eyes,” Mendez said. “There’s no way to monitor every kid during recess to make sure they are not staring too long.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article featured a schedule sent out by JP Schools with an early dismissal schedule. At least two schools were incorrectly included in that list: Academy of Our Lady (AOL) and Archbishop Shaw (Shaw), both in Marrero. Those two schools do not plan to dismiss early Monday.
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