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FACT BRIEF

Are schools around the US closing for the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

Schools in at least eight states will close April 8, 2024, because of the solar eclipse that day, according to news reports.

The states are Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont.

Except for New Jersey, those states — as well as Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Maine — are in the eclipse’s “path of totality,” according to NASA.

Some schools cited “safety reasons” and “uncertainties of the day"; others expected traffic problems because of visitors wanting to see the eclipse.

Viewing the total solar eclipse — when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun — is unsafe without specialized eye protection, according to NASA.

Jon Bales, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators, said “there has been no statewide conversation” among Wisconsin superintendents for school closures and he wasn’t aware of any in Wisconsin.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
New York Post Hundreds of schools in path of total solar eclipse cancel classes over safety concerns
Newsweek Solar Eclipse School Closures Announced in These States
NBC 5 Chicago Schools across Illinois, Indiana announce closures for rare solar eclipse
NASA 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
Speedway Schools Calendadr & Events
Facebook Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
archive.is Ennis Independent School District
Astronomy How to see the 2024 eclipse: Path of totality, times, livestream, state-by-state guide
Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators Jon Bales email
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.