Cleveland Metropolitan School District said Friday it will be closing all schools for the total solar eclipse on April 8.
The school district said the closure is necessary because it will occur right around dismissal time for many of its schools.
"This could result in scholars being on buses during the eclipse and generally complicating dismissal procedures," the district said in an email to parents and staff Friday. "The Greater Cleveland area is expecting a large influx of visitors, which will likely result in heavy traffic congestion on the region’s highways and main roads. It is also possible, because of the large numbers of individuals in the area, that cellular and internet service could be hampered or disrupted."
Many other public school districts throughout Northeast Ohio, from Akron to Parma to Lordstown, have announced they will close due to the eclipse while others, like Youngstown Public Schools, have said they will dismiss students early. Some schools, however, have elected not to close and lose a day of education time.
The district wrote that it hopes students, families and educators can use the time to enjoy "such a unique event."
"In this spirit, the District has received – through the generosity of NASA Glenn Research Center and the NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate, with the support of Mayor Justin Bibb and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown – a donation of a pair of eclipse glasses for every CMSD scholar!" the email reads. "Our Operations team has received these glasses and they will be delivered to our schools for distribution to scholars in the coming weeks."
The district noted there are multiple events that could benefit students and families, including at the Great Lakes Science Center, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Cleveland Public Library.
