A total eclipse is a unique opportunity for people to see. However, it can be very dangerous if looked at by the human eye. Due to these dangers, and the logistical issues that arise from the timing of the eclipse, most schools in Medina County have chosen to close on April 8, 2024. Currently, Medina, Brunswick, Highland, and Cloverleaf Schools are all scheduled to be closed on the day. Wadsworth is not one of those school districts.
Some schools are closing because of the amount of people expected to be out to see the eclipse, meaning more traffic. The main concern with schools is student drivers and buses being stuck in traffic.
To combat the issue of the dangers that looking directly at the eclipse can cause, the district has bought 10,000 pairs of protective eyewear – 5,000 pairs for students and staff and 5,000 pairs for the community to wear. Although this is helpful, it does not eliminate the larger scale issues of the timing of the eclipse.
The eclipse is set to happen around 3 p.m., with 30 minutes of a pre-eclipse before and after 3 p.m. which is in between dismissal times. High and middle school students get out an hour before the elementary and intermediate students do. High school students will be driving home when the eclipse happens. Although high school dismissal is at 2:34, most students don’t get out of the parking lot until 15 minutes after the dismissal bell. This is due to the fact that the buses have to get out of the parking lot before the rest of the students do, so principals direct the dismissal traffic. It is extremely unreasonable for the administration to claim that the reason they are keeping school in session is to keep students safe when the darkness will occur during dismissal and will inevitably cause the issue of distracted driving.
If the eclipse happens while students are still driving, they will need to wear glasses if looking at the eclipse. Even then, there will be a lot of distractions on the road from both student drivers and community members. If there are expected to be more people coming to Medina County then there will be more drivers which will be a bad mix with easily distracted drivers. On top of student drivers and increased populations, the eclipse is happening during elementary school parent pick-up. Parents should be paying attention to the road, not if their child in the back seat is looking at the sun or not. The same goes for students riding the bus home. If bus drivers are responsible for getting students home safely then they are also supposed to make sure that students have their protective eyewear on.
The Bruin is calling for the cancellation of school on April 8, 2024. By canceling school, the protective eyewear can still be given out but students can be better protected at home.

UPDATE 2/13/2024 – Wadsworth Schools Close For Calamity Day During Solar Eclipse