How will the solar eclipse impact Greater Columbus high school sports?
Preparations for Monday afternoon’s long-anticipated solar eclipse have been ongoing for several years, and central Ohio school districts are allowing their staff and students to enjoy the rare event.
Most districts have canceled classes, and sports have largely followed suit, with the majority of games originally scheduled for Monday pushed to Tuesday or later.
Logistical concerns, such as travel issues, also figured in to those decisions.
“The fear is traffic and getting kids stuck on the roads,” Worthington Kilbourne athletic director Jeff Todd said.
“It will be like getting out of the parking garage at an Ohio State football game,” Licking Valley athletic director Mark McCullough said. “My superintendent (Scott Beery) wanted to allow students and families to travel to witness this event if they choose to do so.”
The eclipse is expected to impact central Ohio between 2 and 4:30 p.m., with areas north and west of Columbus falling into totality.
It will be the last solar eclipse to impact Ohio until Sept. 14, 2099.
Here is a list of Monday's eclipse-related postponements and cancellations, as provided to The Dispatch by representatives of central Ohio school districts:
Franklin County
Bexley: Early dismissal, no afternoon activities.
Canal Winchester: Closed. The district originally had announced a two-hour early release.
Columbus Academy: School dismisses at noon. No sports activities are scheduled.
Columbus City Schools: School is out, and no games are taking place involving any district schools.
Columbus School for Girls: School is in session, but there are no athletic events. Optional practices may take place on campus.
DeSales: Practices can take place before noon and after 5 p.m. Like all other Diocese of Columbus schools, DeSales is closed and no games are scheduled.
Dublin: No school, and all contests are postponed.
Gahanna-Jefferson: The district is on spring break next week. No games are scheduled Monday.
Grandview Heights: Early release at 11:30 a.m.; no evening activities.
Groveport Madison: School and all activities have been canceled for the day.
Harvest Prep: No games or meets are scheduled, and practices must be finished by noon. School is not in session.
Hilliard: No school or athletic activities, but staff is reporting for a work day.
New Albany: School is closed, and all activities taking place after noon are canceled.
Ready: School is closed, and all practices must be finished by noon.
Reynoldsburg: School is closed, and Monday is a professional development day for teachers. That was moved to Monday from March 8.
Upper Arlington: Early release, no after-school activities.
Wellington: The school day ends at 1:30 p.m., and no evening activities are scheduled.
Westerville: No classes, no athletic activities.
Whitehall: No classes, and all athletic activities are canceled.
Worthington: School and all contests are canceled. Practices can take place from 9-11 a.m. only, as necessary.
Delaware County
Big Walnut, Buckeye Valley, Delaware and Olentangy: School and all activities have been canceled for the day.
Fairfield County
Amanda-Clearcreek, Berne Union, Bloom-Carroll, Lancaster, Liberty Union and Walnut Township: School is closed, according to district websites.
Fairfield Union: School is closed, and there are no athletic activities after 1 p.m.
Pickerington: School is closed. Practices must end by 2 p.m. or begin after 4:30. No games are scheduled.
Knox County
Centerburg: School will not be in session. Outdoor practices must conclude by 1 p.m., and practices can be held indoors from 1-3 p.m.
Danville: School is not in session, but teachers have a professional development day. The school’s winter sports banquet is scheduled for 6:30-8 p.m., according to the district calendar.
East Knox: School and all activities are canceled.
Fredericktown and Mount Vernon: School is closed, per district websites, with no athletic events.
Licking County
Granville, Heath, Licking Heights and Northridge: School is closed, and all activities have been postponed or canceled.
Johnstown-Monroe: All schools are dismissing two hours early. All games and competitions are postponed or canceled, but teams are allowed to have non-mandatory practices.
Lakewood and North Fork: School is closed, per district websites.
Licking Valley: Monday is a remote learning day, and all extracurricular activities have been moved to Tuesday.
Newark and Watkins Memorial: School is not in session, and practices must be finished by noon.
Madison County
Jonathan Alder: School is closed, and all activities have been postponed to Tuesday.
London: School is closed, and any practices must take place after 6 p.m. All games scheduled for Monday were moved to Tuesday.
Madison-Plains and West Jefferson: School and all activities have been canceled for the day.
Morrow County
Cardington, Highland andMount Gilead: All districts are closed, and no games are scheduled.
Pickaway County
Circleville, Logan Elm and Westfall: School is closed, per district websites. Circleville’s spring break concludes Monday, and classes resume Tuesday.
Teays Valley: School is closed and all athletic practices and events are canceled.
Union County
Fairbanks and North Union: Both are closed, according to district websites. Fairbanks has listed Monday as a remote learning day.
Marysville: School and all activities have been canceled for the day.
Dispatch reporter Frank DiRenna contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Solar eclipse: How will it affect central Ohio high school sports?
