Eclipse prompts SF to delay start of school year
South Fayette School District has pushed back the start date for its school year due to viewing concerns of Monday’s solar eclipse,
Superintendent Bille Rondinelli said rather than starting Monday, Aug. 21, South Fayette schools will instead start the 2017-18 school year on Tuesday, Aug. 22.
Without proper protection or procedure, viewing the solar eclipse could result in temporary or permanent eye damage. The eclipse will be visible from about 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in South Fayette Township.
“The timing of the solar eclipse coincides with dismissal times for what would have been our first full day of school,” Rondinelli wrote in the statement. “While keeping students indoors at recess time was an option, it is impossible to guarantee that children would not look directly at the sun during dismissal or during transport home.”
To replace the missed day, schools will add an instructional day April 27, which was previously set to be a professional development day.