On Monday, December 18, the WCS School Board approved a revision to our 2023-2024 school calendar. WCS originally had a staff professional development (PD) day scheduled for May 17, 2024. Dr. Sivley proposed the change of moving that Staff PD Day from May 17 to Monday, April 8. The board approved, so students will have school on May 17th, and students will not have school on April 8th.
April 8th is the first Monday after our Spring Break, so this will essentially extend Spring Break for students, but this day has much more significance than a day off from school. April 8th will be a historic day in Indiana. Hundreds of thousands of people are planning on visiting Indiana—not for a sporting event, but for a total solar eclipse!
While this total eclipse is definitely an educational opportunity, it will unfortunately occur during school dismissal (see graphic below the map). We felt that traffic and viewing of the eclipse could create additional difficulty during dismissal, hence Dr. Sivley's recommendation to the board. Now, families will be free to view the entire event. There are many eclipses: partial solar, total lunar, etc., but this is the rare total solar eclipse with the path of totality passing slightly south of Indianapolis.
The last total solar eclipse that was viewable in Indiana was in 1869, but that one passed through the very southern part of Indiana. The last time the path of totality went through the Indianapolis area, Genghis Khan was conquering most of Asia and parts of Europe in 1205! Astronomers say total eclipses occur about every 18 months, but on average, it takes about 375 years for a particular spot to experience totality. The next total solar eclipse to pass through Indiana won't be until 2153! Hopefully, we have clear skies on April 8th. We hope you enjoy the day with friends and family and don't forget to protect your eyes with eclipse glasses!
Here is a copy of the revised calendar, also available on our website on the Resources page.