HOW LOCAL SCHOOLS ARE DEALING WITH ECLIPSE

Most districts require parent permission slips or allow opt-outs.

Local schools are balancing multiple interests for Monday’s Great American Solar Eclipse — use the event as a special teaching moment in science curriculum, but make sure students don’t suffer eye damage and the schools don’t get sued.

Springboro schools will have an early dismissal for the junior high only, so those students can view the eclipse outside. District fifth-graders will also watch outside, as spokesman Scott Marshall said the eclipse specifically fits with the science content standards for fifth and seventh grades.

Springboro, Vandalia-Butler and most other schools that responded to our questions about the eclipse said they are either requiring parent permission slips, or offering an opt-out option for parents who don’t want their children to watch the eclipse outside.

Beavercreek’s opt-out form emphasizes the educational value of the event, saying it is “bringing science to life,” but also asks parents to stress to their children the importance of wearing the special solar-filtering glasses that the district is providing for all students.

“Teachers will provide the necessary direction and explanation for why this is very important for student safety, but supporting those efforts from home will be equally important,” Beavercreek’s letter says. “While we will stress to our students the importance of adhering to these guidelines, there is no way to guarantee that every student will follow those directives, and as a result there is an inherent risk involved with viewing the solar eclipse.”

NASA officials have said that only during the few seconds or minutes of a total solar eclipse is it safe to watch the sun with the naked eye or normal sunglasses. The Dayton area will peak at 89 percent, not a total eclipse, so there will be no time

when it’s safe to watch the sun Monday without protective glasses. Doing so could result in retina damage or even complete loss of sight.

Like Beavercreek, many local school districts have ordered special eclipse-viewing glasses for some or all of their students.

“(Northmont) purchased NASA-approved glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for every student,” district spokeswoman Jenny Wood said.

Mad River, Centerville and Greeneview have individual buildings or grade levels receiving the glasses.

“Most glasses are sold out or very expensive at this point, so they are difficult to acquire for a large student body as a whole,” Mad River Superintendent Chad Wyen said Tuesday.

Unfortunately, some companies were selling eclipse viewers that turned out to be unsafe. Dayton Christian School in Miami Twp. announced that it will close Monday because the protective eyewear the school ordered has been recalled.

School officials pointed out that the peak eclipse time locally of 2:28 p.m. is just two minutes before dismissal begins for DC’s youngest students. That’s true for many schools, as 2:30 p.m. is a popular dismissal time.

Xenia Community Schools decided to close Monday because of safety concerns. Interim Superintendent Christy Fielding said, “there is no way to protect our students as they are walking or riding a bus home. Staff will use the day for professional development. Athletic schedules are being revised with start times after 4:30.”

Practice for Bellbrook High School sports teams will be limited to indoor activities from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday due to the eclipse.

With more than a dozen local schools responding to this news outlet’s questions, none said they will delay dismissal to keep students inside until peak eclipse coverage is over. New Lebanon schools will offer voluntary outdoor after-school programs at the middle school and high school for learning activities based on the eclipse.

One group of local students is going to greater lengths to see the eclipse. More than 50 Oakwood High School juniors and seniors will travel to Tennessee to witness the event.

Mark Brooks Hedstrom, astronomy teacher at Oakwood, said he and 55 current and former astronomy students will drive 337 miles to Spring City, Tenn. (in the Tennessee Valley) for the experience. That area is to experience a 100 percent eclipse.

“I hope it will be a landmark event in these kid’s lives and development,” Hedstrom said.