Warwick schools dismissing early on solar eclipse for student safety

WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) — Warwick will dismiss students early Monday for the solar eclipse.

Administrators said the decision was made to keep students safe during the eclipse, but the announcement was met with mixed opinions from the community on social media.

Warwick schools sent a letter to parents saying students will have an early dismissal ahead of Monday’s solar eclipse.

School board members cited safety concerns as the driving factor behind the decision.

“I was getting anxious myself, thinking about how to tell them to put their glasses on when you’re staring at it,” said Shaun Galligan, the Warwick school committee chairman. “So I just tried to put myself in the shoes of a teacher, who might be overseeing a class of 20-plus students.”

Shaun Galligan, a parent of three young kids, said the school department wanted to make sure teachers were not overwhelmed and students got the chance to witness history.

Beyond concerns about classes, the eclipse lines up with a normal dismissal.

“This eclipse is taking place over a two-hour span during times when students will be being dismissed and having to walk home,” Galligan said. “We wanted to make sure we took into account that we have a population of students that are going to be walking along the sidewalks and visibility might be impacted for motorists.”

Galligan said the dismissal will be two hours early for school and there will be no afternoon pre-k.

Kids involved in athletics and after school activities will come back to school after​ the eclipse is over around 4:30 p.m.

Staff said the decision was made early Tuesday to try and give parents as much time as possible to make arrangements.