6 East Texas Schools Have Announced Closures During the Eclipse

Many in East Texas, and millions of visitors to East Texas, are ready for the solar eclipse coming April 8. East Texas will be ground zero for this year's eclipse as we'll go dark in afternoon for a few minutes as the moon passes between the earth and the sun, otherwise known as the Path of Totality. We'll all be stepping outside at work or at school to get a look at this phenonium that hasn't occurred over our area since 1878.

Historic Event

Texas has seen a total solar eclipse before. May 28, 1900, there was a total eclipse that passed over the southern tip of Texas with Brownsville being the perfect spot to have seen it. But you'll have to go back to July 29, 1878, or 146 years ago, that a total solar eclipse passed over East Texas. Tyler, even though it wasn't a town yet, was right on the line of 99 to 100 percent coverage during that eclipse. We'll all be gone by the time the next total eclipse passes over Texas in the year 2200 (click2houston.com).

School Districts Closing East Texas

The historic nature of this eclipse, and that millions of people that will flock to our area to watch it, has caused, as of this writing on March 20, 2024, two East Texas school districts to cancel school on April 8, Mt. Vernon ISD and Athens ISD. You can see both of those announcements below:

I wouldn't be surprised if we see other school districts follow suit. Yes, it is an event that will only last about 5 minutes but it is an event that doesn't happen over us very often, especially to the extent we'll see on April 8.

So grab a pair of eclipse glasses (they're available to order online or at local retailers) and get ready to be a part of history on Monday, April 8 when we go dark at about 1:43 p.m. that afternoon.

Get our free mobile app

READ MORE: These Alien Looking Sacks are Actually Good for Your Lake or Pond

READ MORE: The 2024 Eclipse Could Be Hard on the Texas Power Grid