The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

How D.C.-area schools are handling the solar eclipse

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April 8, 2024 at 2:18 p.m. EDT
Liam Crowley, 12, from New York City, views the solar eclipse with friends and family on the National Mall on Aug. 21, 2017. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)
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Thousands of D.C.-area students will be in school Monday while a total solar eclipse sweeps across the nation, a phenomenon that will not be viewable in the United States for another 20 years.

Some schools in the region are holding viewing parties. Some are dismissing students from class during the peak of the solar eclipse and providing special glasses. Others plan to keep students inside during the event to protect children’s eyesight. One elementary school in Montgomery County told parents it would close some classroom blinds as a safety precaution.