Some area districts declare holiday for rare eclipse
In April, a much-anticipated eclipse will throw darkness across parts of Texas, including San Antonio and the Hill Country. Some area school systems are giving students the day off but most are using the rare celestial event as a teaching opportunity.
And “rare” is the word. Visible at around 1:30 p.m. on April 8, it will mark the first time in more than six centuries that the area has seen a total solar eclipse.
San Antonio ISD
It’s shaping up to be an eventful day at the San Antonio Independent School District, which plans a wide range of space-oriented activities for all grade levels, including STEM rotation stations and guest speakers from the University of Texas at San Antonio and the Southwest Research Institute. Some classes will even take a field trip into the path of totality, a reward for winning a poster contest held during the partial solar eclipse in October.
The goal is to get help boost student interest in science, technology, engineering and math subjects, said Brooke Vasquez, the district’s director of science.
“Eclipses happen everywhere, but for it to be here in San Antonio … people are going to be flocking here to be able to see this,” she said. “I’m hoping to gauge interest in the sciences for students who really want to go down this pathway and become interested in STEM careers.” All students and staff will be provided with solar eclipse glasses for safe viewing.
Northside, North East ISD
Proper eyewear has been a hot commodity for school districts. North East ISD has procured about 12,000 pairs of eclipse viewers, while Hays Consolidated ISD has purchased 30,000. Both districts will be open and will offer unique class lessons and special events.
Classes also will be in session for the 100,000 students at Northside ISD, the city’s largest. Spokesperson Barry Perez said the district plans extensive activities across its more than 130 campuses and pointed to a new website that’s been created in anticipation of the astronomical show.
Most area schools will operate as normal. Southwest ISD’S CAST STEM High School will have a campuswide watch party. Students in Somerset ISD’S Savannah Heights Intermediate School STEM classes will race solar cars — the sun will shine for most of the day, after all. Alamo Heights ISD campuses are planning age-appropriate events.
Other districts that will be open include East Central, Judson, Harlandale, Schertz-cibolo-universal City, East Central, Fort Sam Houston and New Braunfels ISDS and IDEA Public Schools.
Boerne, the Hill Country
South San Antonio ISD had designated April 8 as a professional training day for faculty and staff. The student holiday on the day of the eclipse was coincidental, a spokesperson said.
But districts in the Hill Country, which expect a massive visitor influx because of the region’s closeness to the path of totality, have long planned to close on the big day.
Boerne ISD decided to make the day of the eclipse a staff and student holiday back in 2022, wrote Bryan Benway, the district’s director of communications, in an email.
“We were proactive and placed this on our district calendar last year prior to the school year so families could plan ahead,” he wrote.
Benway said the goal is to put less school-related traffic on roads that will be packed with vehicles. The city of Boerne is preparing for upwards of 50,000 visitors, according to its website.
“It will also be a great at-home learning experience for our students,” Benway added, noting that the district has prepared lesson plans and activities focusing on the eclipse.
Kerrville ISD students will also have the day off. Located almost exactly in the middle of the path of totality, Kerrville has been touted as one of the best places in the world to view it, and the school board approved the closure a year ago due to the anticipated crowds, district spokesperson Lauren Jette said.
Other school districts that have canceled classes for April 8 include Medina Valley ISD and San Marcos CISD. Comal ISD has yet to decide whether classes will be in session, said public information officer Steve Stanford.