All schools in the Riverside Local School District will be closed on Monday, April 8 due to the Total Solar Eclipse. Please note that this closure was not originally on the previously released 2023-2024 school calendar.
We have made this decision for the safety of our students and staff. According to the Lake County Emergency Management Agency, Lake County is expected to bring in hundreds of thousands of visitors and traffic and congestion is going to be of significant concern for the entire day.
As you may be aware, Northeast Ohio is going to be one of the top destination areas in the entire country for visitors to witness this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The total solar eclipse is expected to begin around 1:59 p.m. and end at 4:29 p.m. - with nearly four minutes of total darkness occurring at some point between that frame. A Total Solar Eclipse has not happened in Ohio since 1806 and the next one isn’t until 2444.
The Lake County Emergency Management Agency has listed the following anticipated challenges that could occur on April 8 – including but not limited to:
- Significantly heavy traffic conditions before, during, and after the eclipse with a potential for gridlock.
- Distracted driving during the event.
- Limited cell phone and internet service due to heightened network use.
- A significant increase in population could make Lake County susceptible to multiple threats.
It is our hope that students will take advantage of this once-in-lifetime experience and enjoy this moment with family safely from the comfort of their own home.