Kanawha County public schools will be open Monday on a regular schedule, but will grant students excused absences if their parents or guardians pick them up before the partial solar eclipse, according to the school system.
Putnam County's public school system announced in a news release that its schools will also be open on a regular schedule Monday. A Putnam County Schools spokeswoman said "parents have the right to sign students out at any time, and Putnam County Schools honors that policy."
Putnam elementary schools release between approximately 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., the spokeswoman said.
Looking at the sun, even during the partial solar eclipse, can severely damage your eyes. Kanawha public school system Communications Director Briana Warner said Kanawha's elementary schools dismiss at various times from 1:45 p.m., which is after the eclipse begins, to 3:10 p.m. The eclipse will peak at 2:35 p.m. in the area.
Kanawha parents and guardians can pick their students up beginning at 12:30 p.m., ahead of the 1:08 p.m. start of the eclipse in the area.
"Students must be picked up by parents or guardians for this to be an excused absence," the Kanawha school system stated in a news release and on its website.
When asked about the policy for high schoolers, Warner wrote in an email that they'll "follow their normal attendance procedure, which is that if they wish to leave early, they must have parental permission communicated to the school. Schools accept this parental permission in different ways -- calls, note, etc."
USA Today has reported that "Several school districts in the South have announced classrooms will be closed" Monday. The newspaper reported that the Nashville Public Schools district initially planned to give students the day off before reversing course after Nashville's mayor, according to a district statement, said "she felt strongly that young students could encounter safety issues if they were left home without supervision on that day."
"All Kanawha County Schools staff received the same instruction on providing caution to students during the eclipse, including a resource on how to explain to students," Warner wrote in emails. "By offering the early pick up, parents can make the decision best for their family, while we also have outlined instruction to all staff as they help students during that time of day.
"Kanawha collaborated with other superintendents and listened to parents and staff in making a decision, and it was decided to keep school open while also providing everyone instruction on how to take precautions to ensure safety. ... If we delayed bus loading for elementary school, we'd have to delay it for the entire school system and that would mean that some students would not get home until 5-6 p.m. "Any parent that has a concern can pick their student up in advance of the solar eclipse. The concern is exactly why we implemented this option for an excused absence."
Warner posted on the school system's website that "Because the eclipse will continue during our dismissal times, we ask parents of students who walk, bike or ride the bus to and from school to further reinforce the dangers of looking at the sun while they are on their way home Monday."
"Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse ['totality'], when the moon entirely blocks the sun's bright face, which will happen only within the narrow path of totality," says the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's website.
None of West Virginia is within the narrow path of totality.
"The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as 'eclipse glasses' or hand-held solar viewers," the NASA website states. "Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun; they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight."
NASA says to visit eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters for a list of makers and sellers of safety verified eclipse glasses and solar viewers.
"Always supervise children using solar filters," the NASA site says, "Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After looking at the sun, turn away and remove your filter - do not remove it while looking at the sun ... do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer - the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury."
For Kanawha students staying at school, the school system says schools "are being encouraged to share the viewing experience with their students by utilizing television feeds, internet live streams, or recordings of the event. Schools that have purchased viewing glasses compliant with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard will be allowed to proceed with planned viewing events if they are able to provide adequate supervision."
The school system says each school will send home letters with additional information and safety guidance, and parents "are encouraged to work with their school leadership if they have additional questions or concerns."
Staff writer Carlee Lammers contributed to this report.
Reach Ryan Quinn at 304-348-1254, ryan.quinn@wvgazettemail.com, facebook.com/ryanedwinquinn or follow @RyanEQuinn on Twitter.