Schools, absences and the solar eclipse
Jul 13, 2017, 2:19 PM | Updated: Jul 14, 2017, 10:05 am
SALT LAKE CITY — Some local school districts are hearing there could be absences on the first day of school due to the solar eclipse.
Some Idaho schools are changing their calendars, but school districts in Utah say their calendars are set and won’t change for the total solar eclipse in August. Salt Lake, Alpine, Granite and Murray and Weber School Districts either start on that same day or the next day.
There is a concern that many people will not be in school on that Monday, or will be rushing back to make it for Tuesday.
Representatives from a few school districts say they have had requests from parents or teachers recently to change the calendar. The Salt Lake School Board even discussed it in a recent meeting.
(You can see their discussion of the issue in the board video found at http://www.slcschools.org/board-of-education/board-meetings/video/2017-05-16.php. The specific discussion begins at 40:36 in.)
But they say the calendars are voted on so far in advance that it does not seem like any changes will be made at this point.
They do say that parents can always excuse their children from school when they wish.
Jordan, Canyons, Davis, Cache, Logan and others start on August 23.
