By VIRGINIA DRYE
Eagle Times Staff Reporter
An astronomical event is coming to Vermont and New Hampshire on April 8 this year, when the path of total solar eclipse goes by, and the legislature is considering giving a day off to schools for the historic event.
In testimony on Monday in front of the House Education Committee, prime sponsor of HB1471 State Rep. Ellen Read (D-Newmarket) explained that the bill was written to give the school districts the flexibility to decide what to do that day, whether that is embedding eclipse activities and learning experiences into an in-person learning day, holding an early-release day, hosting remote learning, or closing schools as a way to encourage and support students and families to experience the Total Solar Eclipse. The bill is slated to be fast-tracked (placed at the top of the to-do lists for the House and Senate committees), as preparations by the schools for the event need time.
Rep. Read referred to consulting with Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut for the bill as a way to fill in any administrative gaps that might come up with this historic event. She also noted that the bill also covers safety concerns for the day of, as traffic tends to be completely stopped during the peak of the eclipse and could be dangerous for parents trying to pick up their children from school. The timing of the eclipse is about 3 hours long with the peak of the event taking place around 3:30 p.m. for 3 minutes.
The last time the Twin States were in the direct path of the eclipse was 1959 and the next time in 2079. In April, all of Sullivan County will have 95% coverage of the sun, with more coverage of the sun happening further north.
The Governor has already proclaimed the day a holiday in 2021, but that proclamation does not give the schools a way to excuse student absences from school on April 8, 2024, and on April 9, 2024, if a student was traveling to view the Total Solar Eclipse, as the bill would.
Sullivan County Members of the Education Committee, Reps. Tanner, Damon and Drye were all intrigued by the bill. Rep. Tanner (D-Georges Mills), asked during the bill hearing as to whether the Department of Education already holds the authority to allow schools to close, citing the COVID health emergency. Rep. Read said that she did not want to conflate the solar eclipse with what department in the past but that the bill would allow the department to do so solely for the eclipse.
When asked about the bill after the hearing, Rep. Damon (D-Croydon) said, “I am always a strong proponent of science education. It is clear that the very rare event of the solar eclipse is a prime teaching opportunity. I am confident our educators will utilize the eclipse for teaching science, math, art, history maybe even literature, very enthusiastically and effectively. With or without legislation, schools will be very reasonable and appropriate about excused absences.”
Rep. Margaret Drye (R-Plainfield) exclaimed, “The excitement of the proponents of this bill about the solar eclipse was contagious. Now we need to see how celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event in our own backyard might fit in with what will be a school day schedule in some areas. It’s more complicated than one might think.”
The bill will not proceed until the House Committee votes on a report and sends it to the House Floor.
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